We study the baptisms of ingênuos registered in the localities of Iguape and Casa Branca, both in the province of São Paulo, in the period 1871-1885. Iguape, in those years, saw a slackening of the economic dynamism based on rice cultivation for the internal market. Casa Branca, on the other hand, was near the expansion frontier of coffee culture in the province. We emphasize the comparison between the characteristics of the registers of baptisms of ingênuos preserved for those two cities to explore the impact of their different economic contexts. We observe the frequency in time of the baptisms of children born of slave mothers after de promulgation of the Ventre-Livre Law. In addition, we compute the distribution of baptisms according to legitimacy condition, as well as accompany the behavior of the temporal gap between the dates of birth and baptism. Two case studies are used for some additional considerations about intergenesic intervals. Finally, we analyze the social condition of godfathers and godmothers. As a rule, the disparities between Iguape and Casa Branca were very significant.
baptisms of ingênuos; coffee culture in the West of São Paulo; rice culture in the Ribeira Valley; the Ventre-Livre Law; economy and demography of slavery
