A Dangerous Book

We have recently published Ken Maxwell’s seminal book on the Recueil, a French compilation of American founding documents, on the Minas Conspiracy of 1789 in Brazil.

Led by figures like Tiradentes, Brazilian rebels utilized this “revolutionary handbook” to draft plans for an independent republic, drawing direct inspiration from Pennsylvania’s radical constitution.

The book highlights the roles of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson as intellectual mediators who facilitated the clandestine exchange of democratic ideals across the Atlantic.

Despite this shared pursuit of liberty, the movement faced a glaring contradiction regarding slavery, which remained a dominant economic force in both North and South America.

Ultimately, the Portuguese authorities brutally suppressed the uprising and attempted to erase the Recueil from history to prevent the further spread of anti-colonial sentiment.

18th Century Globalization: The American Revolutionary Ideal Comes to Brazil