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Gold Discovery (1690-1800) |
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The most important consequence of these expeditions was the discovery of gold. While the gold rush which followed drained thousands of people away from the coastal plantations, it also attracted fresh immigration from Portugal. Other consequences were the growth of cattle farming in the interior to provide meat and leather for the mining centres and the emergence of new cities in what is now the State of Minas Gerais. Altogether, nearly 1,000 tons of gold and 3 million carats of diamonds were taken from the region between 1700 and 1800. The growth of gold mining in Brazil was an important development which influenced the course of events not only in the colony but also in Europe.
Although the gold was controlled by Portugal and shipped to Lisbon, it did not remain there. Under the Methuen Treaty of 1703, England supplied textile products to Portugal. These were paid for with gold from the Brazilian mines The Brazilian gold which ended up in London helped to finance the Industrial Revolution.
English industrial goods dominated the Brazilian market, cutting out any chance of competition and discouraging any industrial activity in Brazil.
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