Bandeirantes
Domingos Jorge Velho, a notable
bandeirante. The
Bandeirantes (Portuguese pronunciation: , "followers of the banner") were 17th century Portuguese Brazilian slavers, fortune hunters and adventurers from the São Paulo region, the Captaincy of São Vicente (later called the Captaincy of São Paulo). They were the leaders of expeditions called
bandeiras (Portuguese, "flags") that penetrated the interior of Brazil far south and west of the Tordesillas Line of 1494 that divided the Spanish (west) domain from the Portuguese (east) domain in South America. São Paulo was the home base for the most famous
bandeirantes. Most
bandeirantes were descendants of first and second generation Portuguese that settled in São Paulo but among them were also Galegos, Castilians, and in some cases Italians (Neapolitans, Calabrese) and Basques. Though their original purpose was to capture and force Amerindians into slavery, the
bandeirantes later began to focus their expeditions on finding gold, silver and diamond mines. As they ventured into unmapped regions in search of profit and adventure, they expanded the effective borders of Brazil.