Abstract
After assuming the Government of the captaincy of São Paulo in 1765, Morgado de Mateus established an expansion process of the settlement. The crisis of the colonial economy and conflicts with the Castilians demanded the intervention of the Crown, seeking to deploy new economic activities and preparing the defense of the territory. When creating towns and villages, the Governor would seek bringing together individuals classified as unruly and would send them, sometimes by force, to be the pioneers in border areas. Many of these settlers were indigenous people, considered as vagabonds, who should be submitted to the new model of social organization proposed by the Crown. This effort can be accessed through inhabitants lists of three settlement initiatives: São Luiz do Paraitinga, Piracicaba and the Caminho de Goiás. The profile analysis of the individuals installed in these new villages allows for a better understanding of the organizational strategies of the colonial population desired by the Crown.
Key words
Population; Settlement; Frontier