In 1823, José Bonifácio ordered imperial control over the diamond mines in Minas Gerais.
Handwritten letter from José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.
One page.
In Portuguese.
20 cm x 25 cm.
Rio de Janeiro, February 28, 1823.
Excellent condition.
Unique piece.
This letter, dated February 1823 and signed by José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, orders, in the name of Emperor Dom Pedro I, that the government of the province of Minas Gerais analyze a request from José Joaquim da Silva, who wishes to be included in the “diamond demarcation”—a regulated zone dedicated to diamond mining. The document reveals the administrative workings of the nascent Empire of Brazil, a few months after independence was proclaimed in 1822, and highlights the strategic importance that the State attributed to the regulation of mineral resources.
Beyond its content, this letter possesses strong symbolic value: it is signed by José Bonifácio, a central figure in Brazilian history, considered the "Patriarch of Independence." The document illustrates the tensions between the central power and the provinces in the management of natural resources, especially in the Diamantina region (MG), the center of diamond extraction in Brazil. It is a rare testimony to the construction of the imperial state and its mechanisms of economic and territorial control.
This letter is very interesting because it illustrates, at a key moment in Brazilian history, how the nascent imperial state controlled access to the diamond mining areas of Minas Gerais, under the direct authority of José Bonifácio, a central figure in the independence movement.
