The Monopoly of the Twenty-Four Ships from Bahia to the Costa da Mina and the Conflicts Between Businessmen (1750-1756)

Abstract

This text seeks to present some aspects of the twenty-four ships authorized to travel from Bahia to Costa da Mina. The research demonstrates a case involving the conflicts between two businessmen, José de Souza Reis and Antônio Cardoso dos Santos, who sought to acquire a “number” to participate in the List of this monopoly in 1751. Through these conflicts, we will analise the powers in the colonial Salvador, where the distance from the capital of the Portuguese Empire favored the formation of local aristocracies confronting the crown’s own interests in their colony.