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Portuguese colonization of Brazil transformed it from a land of indigenous peoples to a lucrative colony driven by the extraction of brazilwood and the cultivation of sugar, supported by the forced labor of enslaved Africans.
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Brazilian history
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In the 1600s, Brazilian history was defined by the booming sugar economy, the mass enslavement of African people to work the plantations, the ride of Palmares, one of the world's largest maroon's communities, and conflict with the Dutch to challenged Portugues control in certain regions.
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In the 1700s, Brazil's economy shifted from sugar to a powerful gold and diamond rush, causing a population boom, increased slavery, and expansion into the interior.
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In 1750, Brazil was becoming more and more a Portuguese colony experiencing the decline of its gold-driven economy but establishing its vast interior through the Treaty od Madrid, which had confirmed Portugals ownership of most of what became Brazil.
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Brazil was a Portuguese colony that served as a major source of wealth for the Portuguese Empire through the production of sugar and, more recently gold and diamonds.
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In 1850, Brazil's history was dominated by the Eusebio de Queiros Law, which officially ended the transatlantic slave trade due to British pressure following the Aberdeen Act.