Impactos da influência da mineração colonial sobre o desenvolvimento socioeconômico brasileiro

Abstract

The Brazilian gold cycle (17th-19th century) accounted for approximately 60% of all gold mined in the Americas between 1690 and 1810. Interest in this precious metal led to the rapid emergence of agglomerations, transportation infrastructure, and cultural and institutional changes that persist and are reflected in contemporary regional inequalities. This study aims to examine the long-term effects of colonial mining in Brazil during the gold cycle on contemporary socioeconomic development. Using an indicator of the influence of the gold rush as an explanatory variable, four dimensions of development are analyzed: population, economic activity, education, and inequality. The empirical strategy employed to estimate causal effects is the instrumental variables method, exploring geological characteristics favorable to the emergence of gold as an exogenous variation. The results indicate that the legacies of the gold rush persisted until the end of the 19th century, but gradually lost intensity or reversed their sign in contemporary periods. Municipalities historically influenced by gold mining initially presented larger populations, better educational quality, and greater participation in industrial and service activities. However, in the contemporary period, these advantages disappear or are reversed, reflecting a process of economic convergence or reversal of fortune resulting from extractive colonial institutions. Furthermore, gold mining regions exhibited inclusive institutional characteristics, such as lower land concentration and a higher proportion of free blacks and browns, revealing long-lasting effects that contrast with the extractive legacies associated with colonial mining. On the other hand, transportation infrastructure and early urbanization in these areas brought short-term benefits but did not guarantee sustainable economic advantages over time. This study contributes to the literature on the persistence effects of historical agglomerations and colonial extractive institutions. This Thesis contributes to the literature on historical persistence by analyzing how institutions related to colonial extractive activities, applied during the gold cycle, impacted long-term socioeconomic development in Brazil. In addition, it complements studies on economic agglomeration by highlighting the role of historical agglomerations in the formation of contemporary regional inequalities. Finally, it provides a broad set of information on Brazilian colonial demography.