The Golden Age of Brazil 1695-1750: Growing Pains of a Colonial Society

In The Golden Age of Brazil, 1695–1750, historian C. R. Boxer explores one of the most dynamic yet turbulent periods in the Portuguese empire. With the discovery of vast gold reserves in Minas Gerais, Brazil became a cornerstone of Portugal’s Atlantic world, transforming its economy, society, and political order. Boxer’s richly detailed narrative traces the cascading effects of the gold rush—how sudden wealth fueled social mobility, intensified slavery and contraband, provoked conflicts lik...