Colonial administration in the Captaincy of gold: an analysis of the entry constracts at the end of the first half of the eighteenth century

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the entry contracts of Minas Gerais between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half of XVIII century, under the administrative and economic vision. We believe that these two ways of studying this contract can help to understand the dynamism of the economy of Minas Gerais of the XVIII century since it focuses not only the production of gold, but also on the main objective of the establishment of the registers on these entries. It counts on the circulation of all sorts and people by the related captainship. Still under this perspective, we believe that the study detailed more about the action of the contract holders will clarify the particularities of this System, since it was through buying in sales by auction of some regal contracts, like the case of all the entry contracts of Minas Gerais, that Portugal practiced with its colonial administration.