From “strange monarchist” to “obstinate republican”

the historiographic construction of Cipriano Barata (1762-1838)

Abstract

Cipriano José Barata de Almeida, better known as Cipriano Barata, was a notable political personality in the Brazilian periodical press environment of the first half of the 19th century. Involved with a series of revolutionary movements, throughout his life he fought against the absolutist system, positioning himself in favor of modern liberalism. Amidst arrests, exiles and persecution, the editor of the “Sentinels of Liberty” actively launched himself against what he identified as “Portuguese despotism”, becoming a kind of spiritual leader for the political group of the “Exalted” liberals, in contention for the designs of the nascent Empire of Brazil. Of his activity as a politician and press editor, there were countless interpretations given by historiography, contributing to the ambiguous construction of his memory and, consequently, his history. In this article, we propose to develop a bibliographical debate between two historians who portrayed him at some point in their careers. Guided by Michel de Certeau's concept of “historiographical operation”, we will also think about the different possibilities of “writing” that the historian faces in his research activity.