The Sun Rises in the North: Brazilian Periodicals Published in the United States in the 1870s

This paper examines the production, circulation, and reception of four Portuguese-language periodicals published by Brazilians who lived in the United States during the 1870s. The famous journalist José Carlos Rodrigues ran O Novo Mundo (1870-1879) and the Revista Industrial (1878-1879) from the New York Times building, while Brazilian students were engaged in publishing the Aurora Brasileira (1873-1875) at Cornell University and the Aurora Brazileira (1875-1878) at Syracuse University. Disparities in resources and backgrounds notwithstanding, one main goal unified these four publications: their reform-minded editors and contributors sought to show the Brazilian readers what the United States had been able to accomplish since the end of the American Civil War. Reporting on economic development, scientific advancement, and technological innovation, their articles claimed that freedom was the driving force behind the astonishing progress of the United States. Moreover, all four periodicals received support from a common source: American manufacturers hoping to reach Brazilian markets advertised their machines and capital goods through these publications. Carried by the United States and Brazil Mail Steamship line, the periodicals arrived in Brazil at least once a month and had large sections republished by Brazilian newspapers and reviews. In monarchical and slaveholding Brazil, they became fuel for discontented intellectuals and activists who were beginning to challenge the status quo.