The present article reflects upon citizenship and the struggle for rights during the First Republic. Here we construct a dialogue with authors who opened up the rights issue during the final years of the Empire, seeking to use federal Supreme Court cases (from the 2nd Section of the Federal Courts in Rio de Janeiro). One the one hand, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court during this period was was deeply involved with the project of modernizing, civilizing and organizing the city of Rio de Janeiro, while on the other hand, it contested Executive decisions and requests, seeking to carve out its own space in the national scene. To this end, the Supreme Court took up popular petitions which were not simply reactive, but propositional. It also gave voice to interpretations regarding rights which came from life as it was lived. The population of Rio de Janeiro understood these rights in light of their daily life experiences and sought in recourse to the law a liberty which did not suplant, but which dialogued with property rights and rights to individual freedoms.
Citizenship; Justice; First Brazilian Republic