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Coordinates: 22°44′22″S 47°19′54″W / 22.73944°S 47.33167°W
Americana is a city (município) located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. As of the year 2000, Americana had around 203,000 inhabitants. The original settlement evolved around the local railway station, founded in 1875, and the development of a cotton weaving factory in a nearby farm. After 1866, several Confederate refugees from the American Civil War settled in the region. Following the Civil War, slavery was abolished in the United States. In Brazil, however, slavery was still legal, making it a particularly attractive location for former Confederates. Among them, there was William Hutchinson Norris, a senator from Alabama. Due to Italian immigration at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, only some 10 percent of the current population are of Confederado descent and about a dozen English-speaking families remain in the area. About 300 of the Confederados are members of the Fraternidade Descendência Americana (Fraternity of American Descendants). They meet quarterly at the Campo Cemetery. The city was known as Vila dos Americanos (American' Village) until 1904, when it belonged to the city of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste. It became a district in 1924 and a municipality in 1953. Americana has several museums and tourist attractions, including the Pedagogic Historical Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum. Rio Branco Esporte Clube, founded in 1913, is the football (soccer) club of the city. The team plays their home matches at Estádio Décio Vitta, which has a maximum capacity of 15,000 people.
[edit] History The first records on the occupation of the lands where Americana now stands date from the late 18th century, when Domingos da Costa Machado I acquired a crown property between the municipalities of Vila Nova da Constituição (now Piracicaba) and Vila de São Carlos (now Campinas). In that area several estates were created, including Salto Grande, Machadinho, and Palmeiras. A part of the property, which included the Machadinho estate, was sold by Domingos da Costa Machado II to Antônio Bueno Rangel. After Rangel's death, the estate was divided between his sons José and Basílio Bueno Rangel. A part of the property was afterwards sold to the captain of the Brazilian National Guard, Ignácio Corrêa Pacheco, who is considered the founder of Americana.[2] [3] [4] [edit] North-American Immigration  In 1866, the region started to be effectively populated with North-American immigrants from the defunct Confederate States of America, who were running away from the aftermath of the American Civil War. The first immigrant to arrive was the lawyer and ex-senator of Alabama, colonel William Hutchinson Norris. Norris installed himself in lands near the seat of the Machadinho estate and the Quilombo River. In 1867 the rest of his family arrived in Brazil, accompanied by other families from the Confederate States. These families settled in the region, bringing agricultural innovations and a kind of watermelon known as "Georgia's rattlesnake". In 1875, almost a decade after the arrival of the confederate immigrants in the region, the São Paulo Railways Company completed the expansion of its main railway to the city of Rio Claro. A station was built within the lands of the Machadinho estate. Despite belonging to the municipality of Campinas, the station was made to serve the estates in the municipality of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, which was further away and had no station of its own. The inauguration of the station counted with the presence of the emperor Pedro II and Gaston, comte d'Eu. The station was baptized "Santa Bárbara station". It is unknown exactly when the small village became the city of Americana, but it is known that this village was created by the time of the inauguration of the railway station, and that it was Ignácio Corrêa Pacheco who distributed the lands. Pacheco is thus considered the founder of the city. The municipal holiday of Americana is still August 27, the day when the railway station was inaugurated. The small town formed around the station was officially named "Villa da Estação de Santa Bárbara" (Santa Bárbara Station Town). Its inhabitants consisted mainly of American families, and the town became thus popularly known as "Villa dos Americanos" (Town of the Americans). The similarity between the official name of the town and the one of the neighboring municipality frequently caused serious communication problems, such as mail to Santa Bárbara Station often being shipped to the municipality of Santa Bárbara, ten kilometers away. In order to solve the problem, the railway company changed the name of the station in 1900 to "Estação de Villa Americana" (American Town Station). The name of the town itself was then also officially changed to "Villa Americana" (American Town).[2][3][4] [edit] Carioba In the 1890s, the farm known as Fazenda Salto Grande was purchased by the American Clement Willmot. Willmot established the first industry in Americana under the company name Clement H. Willmot & Cia. In 1889, the factory was renamed Fábrica de Tecidos Carioba (Carioba Textile Factory). The name "Carioba" derives from the Tupi-Guarani words for “white cloth.” The factory ran into financial trouble after the abolition of slavery in Brazil, and was purchased by German immigrants to Brazil, members of the Müller family. The town of Carioba sprang up around the factory. The German immigrants brought European-style urbanization to Carioba, and houses, manors, factories, hotels, and schools were built in the German architectural style. Asphalt of tar (piche) was first imported from Europe into Americana, and utilized in the Brazilian town. The factory became the basis for the present-day Parque Industrial de Americana (Industrial Park of Americana).[2][3][4] [edit] Italian immigration On October 8, 1887, Joaquim Boer led a large group of Italian immigrants to Brazil. At Americana these Italian immigrants built the first church in 1896, which was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, who became patron saint of the city. This group of Italian Brazilians contributed to the development of the town because of their excellent farming skills. Starting on June 13, a great festival is celebrated in honor of Saint Anthony, with bonfires, first organized by a man named Vicente Ardito. It was a very traditional festival that brought people from all over the region. The first years in Americana were difficult for the Italian Brazilians. They lived in the slave quarters with the black slaves, and suffered from a lack of comfort and unhealthy conditions. The Italians worked as indentured servants, paying off their debts to the farmers who had paid for their passage to Brazil, and were often exploited, until the system was revamped and improved. Their descendants went on to become laborers, merchants, and professionals.[2][3][4] [edit] Elihu Root's Visit In 1906, two years after the creation of the Distrito de Paz de Villa Americana, the municipality received a visit from Elihu Root, United States Secretary of State, who had been attending and presiding the Pan-American Conference held in Rio de Janeiro. After the conference, Root visited other parts of Brazil (such as Araras), and was informed of the existence of Americana. Root expressed interest in visiting the town, and was received at Americana with great emotion and affection. Hundreds of the residents received Root at nighttime, and because there was no electricity residents carried torches. Root was touched by their reception. [edit] AutonomyWith the change in status from village to district, Americana developed rapidly. Its first police force was created, a sub prefecture was established, and three street lights –lit by kerosene and brought from Germany- were introduced. A school was also established, with the sending of the educator Silvino José de Oliveira to represent Americana’s interests with the state government. All of these developments led the local inhabitants to clamor for the status of a city. In 1922, Villa Americana was one of the most progressive districts in Campinas with a population of 4,500. In this year, the fight to change its status to city began, led by Antonio Lobo and others, such as Lieutenant Antas de Abreu, Cícero Jones and Hermann Müller himself. Their efforts finally bore fruit: on November 12, 1924, the Municipality of Villa Americana was created[5], comprising two districts: Villa Americana and Nova Odessa, Nova Odesa later becoming its own municipality. [edit] Constitutionalist Revolution and Economic Development At the time of the beginning of the Getúlio Vargas dictatorship in Brazil in 1930, Americana was undergoing a profound economic transformation due to the rise of the textile industry there (the city was known as the “Rayon Capital”). In 1932, during the administration of Mayor Antonio Zanaga, the revolt known as the Constitutionalist Revolution erupted against Vargas' regime. Americana sent volunteers to this revolution, and three of them, Jorge Jones, Fernando de Camargo and Aristeu Valente (from Nova Odessa, then part of Americana), perished during the struggle. Their sacrifice is remembered in Americana to this day. In 1938, Mayor Zanaga changed the name of the town from Villa Americana to Americana, and due to the economic transformation of the town, the Comarca of Americana was created on December 31, 1953 during the administration of Mayor Jorge Arbix. In 1959, during the administration of Mayor Abrahim Abraham, Nova Odessa was made autonomous as its own municipality.[2][3][4] Between 1960 and 1970, the rapid development of Americana caused many people to relocate to search for work. Because of its size, there was not enough room to accommodate the new residents and many lived in the border of Santa Bárbara and Americana, creating what is known today as "Zona Leste de Santa Bárbara" (East Santa Barbara). The same also occurred because the majority of the population were unaware of the location where one municipal started and where another started. The confusion came about because municipio's limits were not yet fully determined. The problem was solved with the creation of a major Avenue, today called Avenida da Amizade (Friendship Avenue) being the dividing line. At the same time as these developments, some problems were also created. The sudden increase in population caused an unbalance in the public accounts of the município, which was not ready for such a great number of new residents. [edit] Geography [edit] LocationAmericana is located in the center-east region of the state of São Paulo, Southeast Region.
[edit] DemographyThe population descended from immigrants mainly Italian, Portuguese, German and Arabic. The city has a strong influence of Americans, so the name of the city, Americana (in Portuguese means American). [edit] Ethnic groups
[edit] Culture [edit] Theatres
[edit] Municipal Library The Municipal Library, named after the teacher Jandira Basseto Pântano, was founded on October 25, 1955. It occupies the old building belonging to the Academic Group "Dr. Heitor Penteado" on Comendador Müller Square, near the parent church of Sato Antônio. It contains 41429 books on various general subjects and 9051 children’s books, totalling 50,480 books (as of June 1999), as well as 114 various newspapers, 24,445 fascicles, and 46 children's magazines. The average number of visitors in 1998 was 600 people, who mostly came in the afternoon. Its enrolled number of associates totals 31,900 people, as of December 1998. Jandira Basseto Pântano was born on October 27, 1918 in Americana. She received her elementary education at the Escolas Reunidas, one of the first schools founded in the city. She completed her education at Campinas and in January 1938 was named a substitute teacher at the Academic Group "Dr. Heitor Penteado" before becoming a full-time teacher there. She worked as a teacher at the school for 22 years, and was noted for her hard work and diligence. She worked with all of the grades, but she preferred to work with the fourth year students, and prepare them for the wider world. She retired on March 9, 1968 and died on June 7, 1988. Up until her death, she continued to receive students at her home, helping illiterate adults and poor children. [edit] Museums and cultural centers
[edit] Religion
[edit] SportsIn football the city is represented by Rio Branco Esporte Clube, founded in August 4, 1913. Rio Branco played in Series A of the Campeonato Paulista since 1992 and was relegated in 2007. It also plays in Series C of the Campeonato Brasileiro. Its stadium is Décio Vitta, with a capacity of 15,000. Americana is the hometown of Paralympics swimmer Danilo Binda Glasser, winner of two bronze medals in the Paralympics of Sydney 2000 and at Athens 2004, and many other medals. [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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