The Brazilian Empire Atlas (1868): a pedagogical undertaking in the construction of a National State and a Nation

Abstract

This paper examines how the Brazilian Empire Atlas had a pedagogical role in constructing the identity of the Brazilian National State and nation. Based on Lefebvre (1987), Dardel (2011) and Moreira (2004), we ponder the notion that identity-building also entails building a territoriality. The discussion includes Thisse's (2014) observations on the formation of national identities in the 19th century. In that framework, we analyze how the Brazilian Imperial Government proposed a symbolic and material set designed to propagate a particular image of its territory and to imply that all of its different individuals were part of the imagined nation (Anderson, 2008). The maps are interpreted based on the findings of Harley (2005), Jacob (1998), Wood (2012) and Black (2005). The results show that the spatial organization of phenomena had its part in the construction of the National Estate and in fostering a feeling of belonging to the budding nation.