A demografia da Paraíba. Uma análise preliminar, 1774–1820

Abstract

A significant set of statistical censuses was produced for the captaincy of Paraíba between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It refers to population charts derived from royal orders sent to Governors of Brazil, which established the execution of an annual statistical chart with detailed information about structures and movements of the population. Based largely on this documentation, this article aims to present a first demographic portrait of Paraíba, showing its rates of growth, racial and juridical composition (free and slaved) and its structure by gender, age and groups (whites, mullatoes, blacks and indians).