Research Proposal

For my research proposal I chose to work on and study some of the questions I chose for
Brazil. The questions that I chose to focus on are: 1.How much has colonialism affected the
country? 2. How does their culture differ from that of Portugal? 3. What kind of foods do people
eat regularly? I think that I have gathered enough information to sufficiently answer all three
questions. The most interesting of these questions has to do with the colonization of Brazil by
Portugal.
Portugal first arrived in Brazil in the 1500’s on the shores of Rio Buranhem. The first
permanent settlement in Brazil was Sao Vincente which was established in 1532. The Colonists
and Native Brazilians began to mingle and adopt each others culture. This led to what is
Brazilian culture now. Colonization of Brazil brought many things to the county including
Christianity, Weapons, Ships, Slavery, and etc. So the natives of Brazil fled further inland to
escape the effects on colonialism. Colonialism impacted Brazil economically a lot. During the
time that Brazil was a colony they weren’t making any money off of industry and all the money
went to Portugal. Another things is that while Brazil was a colony they mainly exported raw
materials. So when Brazil gained independence they continued to export raw materials instead of
using the raw materials to improve their industry. This created a lasting impact on the Brazilian
economy.
Portuguese culture greatly influenced Brazilian culture. One of the main things that the
Brazilians have gained from the Portuguese is language. When the Portuguese settled in Brazil
their language began to spread throughout the whole country. Another things is that a lot of Jews
immigrated to the country in the 1500s. The Jews who immigrated were called “The New
Christians” because they were made to convert to Catholicism. So even to this day you can see
some of Jewish culture within Brazil. The Portuguese tried to conquer the natives people like
they did with other indigenous people that they conquered, but it didn’t end well. This led to the
Portuguese respecting the native population. Over time the Portuguese and the natives began to
mix and so did their cultures as well.
Brazilian food is formed from a mixture of all the ingredients brought by different
cultures. Some of the cultures that influenced Brazilian food are the Italians, Portuguese,
Spanish, Arabs, and the Chinese and Japanese. The Fejioada is the national dish of Brazil. A
Fejioada is a black bean stew with rice and pork. This dish was created by the African slaves in
Brazil.