Vapores de Mauá: a Companhia de Navegação e Comércio do Amazonas (1852-1871)

Abstract

The steam navigation in the Amazon was a subject much discussed since the beginning of the 19th century. However, this navigation was only effected in 1853, by means of a contract with the Navigation and Commerce Company of Amazonas, under the direction of Irineu Evangelista de Souza, the Baron of Mauá. This company served for eighteen years, sailing from one extreme to another in the region (from Belém, in Pará, to Nauta, in Peru). In addition to the navigation activity, this company also carried out the activity of colonization, another important theme in the nineteenth century. This research aims to understand the Company of Amazonas as a commercial enterprise, part of a political and economic project, and reconstitute its activities, outlining its operation in the region.