The territory of Minas Gerais, the Sertões do Rio Verde and the foundation of Vila de Campanha da Princesa

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze issues pertinent to the territory of Minas Gerais, particularly the process of occupation of the Sertões do Rio Verde, the constitution of the arraial of Campanha do Rio Verde and, later, the Vila de Campanha da Princesa, analyzing the jurisdictional conflicts with the Captaincy of São Paulo, the disputes with the Vila de São João del Rei, the establishment of the limits of its Term and the delimitation of its territory. The territory of the future Vila de Campanha, one of the oldest localities of Minas Gerais, was constituted as a result of the auriferous findings and the conflicts related to the limits existing between the Captaincies of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. An area of dispute between São Paulo and Minas Gerais, the region remained under the jurisdiction of the town of São João del Rei until the end of the 18th century, when the most influential residents of the parish began to demand the creation of the town of Campanha da Princesa, as they considered the growth of its population, the economic development of the region and the distance from the town of São João Del Rei, which hindered both business and justice, to be relevant to this fact. This analysis makes use of a significant historical documentation and, particularly, the analysis of three maps coeval to the process of territorialization of the arraial and the village of Campanha.