Business Leadership and Textile Industrialization in Maranhão, 1870-1940

Abstract

This study investigates the role of business leaders from the Commercial Association of Maranhão (ACM) in promoting industrialization between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. In a historical context dominated by agrarian economy, particularly cotton monoculture, Maranhão faced significant economic challenges that industrialization aimed to mitigate. The primary objective is to analyze the profiles of ACM directors and their strategies to drive regional economic development. The methodology includes prosopographical analysis based on primary sources such as ACM documents, meeting minutes, contemporary economic reports, and relevant works on the subject. The findings highlight specific characteristics of leadership composition and formation within the group, as well as aspects of these leaders' interactions with the government and other institutions in shaping these strategies. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to economic historiography by addressing gaps regarding the specific role of business leaders in Maranhão's economic transformations.