The advent of rail in Brazil: the tension between progress and backwardness

a chegada das ferrovias e a tensão entre atraso e progresso no Brasil

Abstract

This article analyzes the arrival of railroads in Brazil in the second half of the 19th century. During this period, the world was undergoing profound transformations, especially with regard to technological innovations. Capitalist society was emerging, restructuring social organization with the promise of growth and power. The railways, an expression of this historic moment, reached several countries beyond Europe, not only for their potential for industrial transport demands, but for having become one of the most latent symbols of European modernity, which Brazil will take as an ideal reference. of progress. In order to problematize what the railways represented in the national territory, several authors, with different perspectives on the subject, are used. Therefore, the text seeks to answer how the culture of progress triggered by the Industrial Revolution in Europe had repercussions in the tropics. For this, it was necessary to analyze the political, economic and social situation in Brazil, especially in the 1850s and 1860s.