Entre coronéis e cafezais: o modelo primário exportador e a consolidação da burguesia cafeeira em Amargosa, Bahia (1855-1897)

Abstract

This research investigates the consolidation of the coffee bourgeoisie, represented by the hegemonic group of coronéis (hegemonic group), in the municipality of Amargosa, Bahia, between 1855 and 1897, during the period known as the Primary-Export Model. Grounded in historical-dialectical materialism, the study analyzes the formation and development of productive forces and relations of production that shaped the local reality, emphasizing its uneven development since the colonial period, which relegated Brazil to the role of a raw material exporter. By examining the trajectory of the agrarian coffee bourgeoisie in Brazil, the research highlights the relationship between private ownership of the means of production and capital accumulation in the emergence of antagonistic social classes, particularly the coronéis. The analysis demonstrates how land ownership and labor organization in Amargosa contributed to the formation of this bourgeoisie, which exerted control over production and social relations, perpetuating domination through control of the superstructure—especially in the political sphere. The final considerations synthesize not only the origins but also the continuity of power relations and the legacies of the period (1855–1897) in contemporary social structures, underscoring the importance of recovering historical elements, in constant transformation, to contribute to understanding the social existence of individuals and, consequently, their social consciousness.