A planta e o tempo: ciência, técnica, natureza e progresso nos impérios da botânica. Ceará – Brasil – Portugal (Séculos XVIII e XIX)

Abstract

The aim of this work has been to investigate the time relations that have been involved Botanic in its different level of actuation, from last decades of the eighteenth century and throughout nineteenth century. During this time, Portugal changed its educational base throught of prioritization of Natural History, enphasizing vegetable studies with the aim of agricultural modernization. The post-1822 Brazil, in its own way, implemented the same actions. In this way, a comparative analysis was performed, addressing the politics and actions implemented among both governments during the colonial and the imperial regimes. The initial point of the study was the captaincy of Ceará, contextualizing other specialties and focusing on three areas of concentration that were directly connected to Botanic in the studied period: hardwoods, agriculture and medicinal plants. In general, the following sources were consulted: single documents of the captaincy of Ceará belonging to Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino, scientific papers, memories, legislations, reports of presidents of provinces and ministries, magazines, newspapers, and literary works.