Café, riqueza e famílias: Ribeirão Preto na segunda metade do século XIX

Abstract

This paper analyses the economy and the decisions of wealth allocation in one of the most important cities on the northeast of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, between 1849 and 1900, considering some families and their history. In that period, the small village passed through many transformations which prepared it to become one of the most important coffee producers of São Paulo State in the later years of the XIX century. The objective is to search for patterns and activities that provided conditions for wealth accumulation. The main primary source used are the detailed list of property of the deceased (inventários post-mortem).