Latin American History Commons^™

The Brazilian Bandeirantes: Heroes Or Villains?, Mitchell Robey

Undergraduate Research Journal

The early history and exploration of the Americas are riddled with names such as “Frontiersman,” “Pioneer,” and “Coureur de bois”. Yet, a commonly unrecognized name is that of the Brazilian Bandeirante. The memory of Brazil’s Bandeirantes remains controversial as they not only settled lands, but also gained considerable wealth and power from capturing new and escaped slaves. Additionally, unlike their North American counterparts, Bandeirantes hailed from an assortment of occupations, with “explorer” not being one of them. Bandeirantes were those individuals who turned to the unexplored heartland of Brazil as they grew tired of the marauding pirates found along …