Águas boas de Guaxenduba: memórias de Icatu, Maranhão e o ensino de História local.

Abstract

The great and complex Portuguese colonization project in the New World included the conquests of the vast portions of coastal and inland lands in the North of Portuguese America, in which the village of Icatu is inserted, a decisive space for the consolidation of the Portuguese domain in the 17th century when the disputes for territories still threatened the Portuguese hegemony. This research concentrates its efforts on the historical importance of the village of Icatu for the central and regional power, due to its geographical location, fertile lands, and abundant waters. The village of Icatu had two geographic changes and elevations by monarchic order (1688 and 1759), being a royal captaincy, it obtained investments from the Crown in order to guarantee the continuity of the colonizing process on the coast and in the interior. This research seeks an understanding of Icatu's colonial past and its historical riches; it seeks situating permanences and traces left by the time of Icatu's constitution and historical formation. Methodologically, the cartography and images of the region contributed to elucidating the historical transformations and legacies of the city. Icatu's 407th anniversary brings up a necessary problem: how does the preservation of the collective memory of a colonial town come about? What feelings does the local population have about the city's history? Does the teaching of history in schools value local historical experiences? These are some of the reflections that motivated the present research.