Approaching from a neo-colonial perspective, this analysis examines the scientific voyages of the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro (IHGB) as part of a broader process by which science spread around the world and historical and geographic representations were constructed in imperial Brazil. It first shows how nationalism and imperialism in Europe underpinned the epistemology of natural history and scientific voyages. It next goes on to show how colonialist projects relate to the IHGB's natural history, archeological, and ethnographic texts. Lastly, since the intent of every historical discourse is to critique the present, the article engages in a dialogue with the colonialist idea of Brazil fashioned during the imperial age; it emphasizes how this idea is not a dead file but remains with us still, internalizing our social identities.
colonialism; scientific voyages; Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro (IHGB); Imperial Brazil