James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Masters Theses The Graduate School Spring 2014 Envisioning the apocalypse: (Dis)Order, progress, and Brazil’s Canudos War, 1896-1897 Gray Fielding Kidd James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019 Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Kidd, Gray Fielding, "Envisioning the apocalypse: (Dis)Order, progress, and Brazil’s Canudos War, 1896-1897" (2014). Masters Theses. 250. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/250 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the The Graduate School at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Envisioning the Apocalypse: (Dis)Order, Progress, and Brazil’s Canudos War, 1896-1897 Gray Fielding Kidd A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History May 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Gray Fielding Kidd All rights reserved Dedication I dedicate this project to the late Marjorie Hart Kidd, my great-great aunt and fellow alumna of Madison College (James Madison University). Shortly before her death in the early spring of 2011, she reminded me to make a name for myself. This master’s thesis is a crucial foothold to discovering myself as a student and as a scholar. iii Acknowledgments I am indebted to a number of individuals whose unyielding support and encouragement has been a driving force behind this project. As the director of this project, Bill Van Norman has revealed his profound wisdom over the past two years. My writing has improved immeasurably thanks to Bill’s feedback, as has my ability to alternate between looking at topics up close and from afar. Bill graciously allowed me to stop by his office (often unannounced) to present my latest idea or snag. He always seemed to know that just by talking out my ideas, I was propelling my thoughts as an apprentice historian. Kristen McCleary’s comments were equally insightful. She always made room for quick meetings on Friday afternoons to discuss methodology and sources, and her close scrutiny of my adjectives, semicolons, and passive voice have improved subsequent drafts of this thesis. Jessica Davidson has been a tenacious sounding board for my interest in gender theory. She kindly agreed to serve on my thesis committee for a second and final time. Bill, Kristen, and Jessica have been a vital part of my research at Madison from E(va) Perón to S(ertão). I graciously thank Dr. Philip Dillard, Dean Reid Linn, and The Graduate School for providing generous financial support to attend the February 2014 graduate student conference at Tulane University. During the annual Global Gulf conference, I received helpful feedback from Tulane faculty, doctoral students, and visitors. Their suggestions are timely additions to this thesis. Lilian P.W. Feitosa opened my eyes to the Portuguese- speaking world and to my future as an aspiring Brazilianist. Although my spoken Portuguese is dubious, Lilian provided me with the moorings I needed to conduct original iv research in the language. More importantly, she stoked my enthusiasm for cross- disciplinary study. Amy Underwood, my close friend and an alumna of the history master’s program, has been an integral part of my graduate career at JMU. We immediately connected over our mutual interests in gender, sexuality, and power. Our patchy, but well-timed, discussions of life and society over beer and dinner always remind me why academia is one of my homes. Peggy Smith and Shelley Miller also deserve special recognition. As the History Department’s administrative assistants, they supplied me with the resources I needed to perform my job of wearing many different hats. Peggy was immensely helpful in coordinating my trip to New Orleans in the early spring, and Shelley, a longtime resident of New Orleans, enthusiastically served as my liaison to “The Big Easy.” At and beyond James Madison University, both of these women have selflessly acted as sounding boards, confidants, and mentors. It is through their caring friendship that I have found a loving home away from home in Harrisonburg. A special thank you goes out to Danielle Brookover, Meagan Dalton, Courtney Jackson, and Joe Probasco. Not only did these individuals perform a number of favors for me as History Department student assistants, but they also encouraged me to laugh and let loose every now and again. Whether I was writing papers, applying to doctoral programs, or completing drafts of this thesis, the Jackson Hall 201 crew reminded me that having a social life is essential for continued graduate work. What is more, they successfully managed to get me out of my stuffy apartment or office to partake in the world around me. My friendship with each of these fine future educators has been rewarding and meaningful. v Finally, I thank my mother for supporting my graduate career. Despite her son not being financial savvy in the least, she lessened many of my financial obligations while a graduate student so I could more fully immerse myself in my work. On more than one occasion, she threw a life preserver into my intellectual abyss. “You think too much,” she would say. “Just take a break.” Had it not been for her gentle advice of taking a step or two back from my research and writing, this project would have been more of a nervy garbling than a master’s thesis. Perhaps most important of all, and by no means limited to this thesis, she has always reminded me of my abilities in trying moments of self-doubt. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. An ‘Inverted Gaze’ through Print ...........................................................................15 The Brazilian Press .......................................................................................17 Urban Space and Social Planning ................................................................20 The Family ...................................................................................................23 A Tale of Two Females: The Absent Lady and the Public Woman ............27 Conclusion ....................................................................................................29 2. Brazil Grows Smaller: Early Accounts of Canudos ...............................................33 “Selfish, Unpredictable, and Arrogant”: The Report of a Police Chief .......36 A Capuchin and A Holy Mission to Canudos ..............................................40 A Human Polyp: The Account of Euclides da Cunha ..................................46 The Health of the Povo Brasileiro ...............................................................51 3. A Spectacle in Two Acts: From Burlesque to Patriotic Enactment ........................55 Canudos Burlesque .......................................................................................59 A Heroic Drama ...........................................................................................69 Conclusion: Conjecture, Reactions and Readings ........................................80 4. A Performance of Hegemony: The Patriotic Committee of Bahia .........................83 The Sources and Demographic Trends ........................................................87 Charity, Virility, and Modernity ..................................................................90 Difficulties ....................................................................................................95 Conclusion ..................................................................................................101 Appendices .......................................................................................................................103 A. Timeline ...............................................................................................................103 B. Glossary ...............................................................................................................105 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................107 vii LIST OF FIGURES Maps page 1. Brazil in 1893 ...........................................................................................................3 2. Belo Monte/Canudos region between 1893 and 1897 ..............................................6 Figures 1. Unknown artist’s hand drawn sketch of Canudos ....................................................3 2. Alvim Martins Horcades’s illustration of Canudos from above ...............................3 3. An unknown artist’s “reliable portrait of the fanatic Antônio Conselheiro” ..........60 4. Anonymous sketch of Antônio Conselheiro in the Rio Gazeta da Tarte ...............61 5. A satirical depiction of Conselheiro painting the devi...........................................63 6. Humorous sketch of Antônio Conselheiro saying to the Republic, “Halt! You shall not pass!” .........................................................................................64 7. Colonel Moreira César and his troops are showered in flowers .............................64 8. “It is a curse to say this is the Bom Jesus” .............................................................65 9. Depiction of Carnaval on the cover