A repercussão do Bill Palmerston na imprensa brasileira no ano de 1839

Abstract

This dissertation examines the public debate in the Press of Rio de Janeiro, which occurred in 1839, to answer its research question: how did the Brazilian Press react to the tightening of British actions to cease the transatlantic slave trade? To do so, it focuses on the repercussions of the Palmerston Bill and the impact of International Relations on the Rio de Janeiro Press during that time. The collected database consists of 1457 printed journals available in the Digital Newspaper Library of the National Library which circulated in the Capital of the Brazilian Empire in 1839. These documents were studied from various perspectives, including Atlantic, social and political history. The research aims to analyse Press debates regarding the continuity of the slave trade and the British interventions to stop it. Patterns of action and reaction, significant events, and prominent personalities were identified. Themes such as sovereignty and national dignity were constantly at the forefront. By examining the newspapers from 1839 available in the digital collection, it was possible to understand the extent to which the Brazilian Press was responsive to internal and external events and how international relations were reflected in the writings of the periodical editors. This analysis indicates that there was a constant concern with the events of the Old Continent and how Brazil would deal with the labour problem for agriculture, given the high demand in agriculture, the high mortality rate of captives, and the difficulty in attracting salaried European settlers to replace the enslaved workers