Cangaço
Brazilian nomadic bandits
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Key Takeaways
- Cangaço ( Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐ̃ˈɡasu] ) was a phenomenon of Northeast Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Origin of the word By 1834, the term cangaceiro was already used to refer to bands of poor peasants who inhabited the northeastern deserts, wearing leather clothing and hats, carrying carbines, revolvers, shotguns, and the long narrow knife known as the peixeira.
Cangaço (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐ̃ˈɡasu]) was a phenomenon of Northeast Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This region of Brazil is known for its aridness and hard way of life, and in a form of "social banditry" against the government, many men and women decided to become nomadic bandits, roaming the hinterlands seeking money, food, and revenge.
Origin of the word
By 1834, the term cangaceiro was already used to refer to bands of poor peasants who inhabited the northeastern deserts, wearing leather clothing and hats, carrying carbines, revolvers, shotguns, and the long narrow knife known as the peixeira.
"Cangaceiro" was a pejorative expression, meaning a person who could not adapt himself to the coastal lifestyle.
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