History of Ceará

The history of Ceará began with the Portuguese colonization, characterized by the resistance of the natives and the difficulties the European had in adapting to the climatic conditions of the territory. Initially, a rural society was formed, based mainly on livestock and agriculture, which controlled almost every aspect of social life through its economic power and complex relations of parentage and patronage. The so-called "coronéis" kept many dependents on their properties who provided them with services or gave them part of their production in exchange for owning a plot of land, in a semi-feudal regime. The servitude of Africans, although of lesser importance, was practiced throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in areas where agriculture flourished.

The history of Ceará was characterized by political struggles and armed movements during the Empire and the First Republic, but normalized after the country's reconstitutionalization in 1945. The droughts and the state's troubled social and economic factors led to the emergence of important events in history, such as the cangaço, messianic movements and emigration to other states. Historically, Ceará has undergone major transformations since the 1950s, progressively becoming a predominantly urban, more industrialized state with growing regional and income inequality.