ABSTRACT
Having as central axis the evolution of the political dispute throughout the First Republic between two oligarchic groups in Paraíba (the Alvarist and the Epitacist), this paper intends to analyze three electoral moments (1899/1900, 1915 and 1930 elections) that marked the local politics and were significant in the process of rise and decline of the referred oligarchies. Using the press of the time, memorialist and epistolary sources, as well as the annals of the National Congress, we seek to discuss these elections bearing in mind the process of verification of credentials at state and national levels, collating with the most recent historiographical discussion about this system and the dynamics of the politics of the governors.
KEYWORDS:
Verification of Credentials; Politics of the Governors; First Republic; Paraíba Oligarchies