History of the Federal District and the Construction of Brasília

Vocabulary practice flashcards detailing the historical events, commissions, legal milestones, figures, and concepts surrounding the interiorization and construction of Brasília.

Carta de Goiás (1750)

A historical map drafted by the Genoese cartographer Francisco Tossi Colombina during an expedition through the Central Plateau, presenting the earliest recorded suggestion to locate Brazil's seat of government in that region.

Marquês de Pombal's 1761 Proposal

A proposal made by Portugal's Prime Minister two years before Rio de Janeiro became capital, advocating for the Amazon valley as the ideal territory for building a new capital to stimulate trade and distribute wealth.

São João Del Rey Proposal (1789)

The plan supported by the Inconfidentes Mineiros to establish the national government in the town of São João Del Rey, favored over coastal Rio de Janeiro due to strategic inland location and abundant food supplies.

Aditamento ao Projeto de Construção (1822)

An anonymous pamphlet published in Rio de Janeiro in which the name "Brasília" appeared in print for the very first time as a suggestion for the future capital of the Kingdom of Brazil.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva

The 'Patriarch of Independence' who in 1823 submitted a formal memoir to the Imperial Constituent Assembly advocating an inland capital away from coastal ports for national defense, suggesting Paracatu do Príncipe and proposing the names 'Petrópole' or 'Brasília'.

Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen

The Viscount of Porto Seguro and prominent historian who in 1877 explored the Central Plateau on horseback and suggested the vicinity of Vila Formosa da Imperatriz (modern-day Formosa, Goiás) as the ideal site for the new capital.

Dom Bosco's Prophecy (1883)

A prophetic dream recounted by Italian Saint John Bosco describing a prosperous civilization and promised land flowing with milk and honey situated between parallels $15^\text{o}$ and $20^\text{o}$ beside an expansive lake.

Article 3 of the 1891 Republican Constitution

The landmark constitutional mandate, introduced via an amendment by deputy Lauro Muller, that legally reserved an area of $14,400\,\text{km}^2$ in the Central Plateau belonging to the Union for the establishment of the future Federal Capital.

Missão Cruls (1892–1893)

A 22-expert scientific demarcation commission created by President Floriano Peixoto and led by Belgian astronomer and director of the National Observatory Luiz Cruls, which explored over $5,132\,\text{km}$ to produce the technical survey and delimitation known as the 'Quadrilátero Cruls'.

Pedra Fundamental (1922)

The symbolic obelisk and cornerstone laid in September 1922 on Morro do Centenário in Planaltina to celebrate the Centenary of Brazilian Independence and mark the designated site for the future capital.

Marcha para o Oeste (1940)

An initiative launched under Getúlio Vargas during the Estado Novo promoting the demographic and economic integration of Brazil's vast interior and central geographical territory.

Comissão Polli Coelho (1946)

A commission appointed by President Gaspar Dutra and chaired by General Djalma Polli Coelho that recommended expanding the $14,400\,\text{km}^2$ territory northward to strategically control vital hydrographic basins.

Triângulo Mineiro vs. Quadrilátero Goiano Dispute

The political and regional rivalry over the location of the capital; Minas Gerais proposed the Triângulo Mineiro (Uberlândia, favored by engineer Lucas Lopes), but the Goiano plateau won by two votes due to available unoccupied lands and ease of expropriation.

Donald J. Belcher & Associates Study (1953)

An American technical firm contracted to analyze aerial photogrammetry supplied by Cruzeiro do Sul, evaluating topography, drainage, geology, and agricultural potential across five candidate sites (identifying Sítio Castanho).

Jataí Rally Question (1955)

A historic campaign encounter on April 4, 1955, in Goiás, where a local citizen named Toniquinho questioned candidate Juscelino Kubitschek on whether he would obey the Constitution and transfer the capital, compelling JK to pledge its construction.

Law No. 2,874 (September 19, 1956)

Federal legislation sanctioned by President Juscelino Kubitschek establishing the definitive location of the Federal Capital in the Central Plateau and creating the state-owned urban development corporation, Novacap.

Novacap (Companhia Urbanizadora da Nova Capital do Brasil)

The government company established in 1956 tasked with organizing, contracting, and carrying out the urban development and physical construction of Brasília.

Catetinho

The provisional presidential residence, built out of timber in just 9 days in 1956 to house Juscelino Kubitschek during early visits to the construction site, nicknamed the 'Palácio de Tábuas'.

Plano Piloto

The master urban design for Brasília created by urban planner Lúcio Costa, selected in March 1957 from 26 competitive entries, featuring crossed axes conceived to accommodate $500,000$ inhabitants.

Candangos

The term used to describe the pioneer construction workers—largely impoverished migrants from the Brazilian Northeast—who migrated to the Central Plateau to build the infrastructure and monuments of Brasília.

Meta-Síntese (JK's Target Plan)

The status given to the construction of Brasília within Juscelino Kubitschek's 31-target economic development program ('50 years in 5'), synthesizing national integration, energy, transport, and industrialization.

Inauguration of Brasília (April 21, 1960)

The official ceremony that transferred the capital of Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to the Central Plateau, established under Law No. 3,273.

Israel Pinheiro da Silva

The mining executive and politician appointed by JK to head Novacap during construction, who subsequently became the very first Mayor (Prefeito) of the newly inaugurated Federal District (1960–1961).

Wadjô da Costa Gomide

The civil engineer and pioneer who served as the final chief executive to hold the title of Mayor of Brasília (1967–1969) before Constitutional Amendment No. 1 changed the title to Governor.

Hélio Prates da Silveira

An Army Lieutenant Colonel who served as the first official Governor (Governador) of the Federal District (1969–1974), during whose tenure the CEI eradicated settlements to found Ceilândia.

Distrito Federal Surface Area

The defined jurisdictional area of the Brazilian Federal District, measuring $5,779.99\,\text{km}^2$ and representing approximately $0.07\%$ of the total national territory.