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History of Sao Paulo

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The history of Sao Paulo arises from humble beginnings. Sao Vicente, located on the coast of Sao Paulo, was the first city established in Brazil on January 20, 1532. The primary reason Martin Afonso de Sousa established the city was to ensure the possession of the region, persistently visited by foreigners. Cane was the first economic pursuit, however, the farmers from Sao Paulo could not contend economically with the northeasterners because the coast of Sao Paulo was so much more slender.

On January 25, 1554, Jesuit priests established a mission on a small hill that was advantageously near to the River Tiete, which would become the city of Sao Paulo. The mission progressed into a miniature trading post and then, in the 17th and early 18th century, into a starting point for Bandeirante expeditions roaming into the interior. By 1711 this market town of Sao Paul was incorporated as a city due to progressive trade that had amply occurred on the plateau. Twelve years later, Sao Paulo hit the jackpot with the appearance of the first coffee plants in Brazil. Sao Paulo became wealthy on coffee cultivation in the mid-19th century. The land of the region produced fertile soil, which contributed to the prosperous production.

The plantation owners of the coffee made their home in the lively regional center of Sao Paulo. Eventually, the coffee industrialists branched out their interests and invested some of their wealth in the local industry; the effect of their diversification was a need for labor. The city of Sao Paulo became a primary producer of coffee until slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888. This drove immigrants who had come to Sao Paulo to work in the coffee industry in search of finding alternative means of employment. Sao Paul became one of the first cities in Brazil to promote immigration, and, as a result, the city saw an influx of immigrants from Italy and Japan.

By 1895, 70,000 of Sao Paulo’s 130,000 populace were immigrants. Later, immigrants arrived from Spain, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Portugal. This strong history in immigration remains true in the city today as Sao Paulo continues on as one of the most culturally diverse cities in Brazil.

The labors of the immigrants altered Sao Paulo from a meek Jesuit mission post into a vibrant financial and cultural center. Avenida Paulista was formerly the location of many a coffee baron’s mansion. The resulting money from these private spheres of influence poured into the cultural institutions. The arts began to boom, and by the 1920s, the city was working its way to becoming the rightful cultural capital of Brazil.

The booming metropolis that Sao Paulo is today was birthed during the postwar era. Sao Paulo became the principal car manufacturer in South America due to foreign investment by car companies such as Volkswagen, Ford, and GM. The city of Sao Paulo surpassed its rival in Rio and became the most populated city in South America during the mid-1950s. Today the city continues to grow and attract people to its limits.

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