"The Dark Jungle of Brazil’s History” and its “Turf in São Paulo”: Paulo Prado through the magnifying glass of Capistrano de Abreu

Abstract

In his writing debut, Paulo Prado (1869–1943) avows his filiation with the great historian Capistrano de Abreu (1853–1927), a milestone of modern historiography in Brazil. Prado asserts he was taken by Capistrano’s “friendly firm hands [...] into the dark jungle of Brazil’s history that is such an important part of our turf in São Paulo”. Prado describes him as being largely responsible for awakening his interest in all things that are Brazilian in their variety of expressions. Despite their intense interlocution, it is worth questioning: Is Prado a historian in the manner of Capistrano? This article sought to answer this question through a brief analysis of proximities and distances between Prado’s production and Capistrano’s works.