This paper investigates the uses of the political concept of people by the main political groups in dispute in the Brazilian independence period, emphasizing its connection with certain experiences and discursive constructions of that time. We believe this approach to the history of political concepts has much to offer in two areas: for the historiography of the period of Brazilian independence, and for the history of Brazilian historiography. Knowing political language and experiences of time is fundamental in order to understand the political and social conflicts of the period and the way society experienced and thought about its history.
people; independence; political concepts