User:Backlandsofbrazilmystics/sandbox

Mystics and Preachers Over the Brazilian Backlands
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries Brazil saw major changes in their economy and politics. The abolition of slavery, long droughts in many areas, the fall of their Empire, and the lack of the churches relevance at the time. This lead for a period of mystics and preachers to gain followers in the Backlands of Brazil often called Sertão. These charismatic speakers would go from town to town preaching at night and gaining followers sometimes creating communities together. Often times the people who joined these communities were former slaves and immigrants from Portugal and Italy. Up until the 1950's these communities were common and looked at as a weakness within Brazil. Many of these communities were a safe haven for freed slaves and immigrants who came to Brazil for work. Due to the people who inhabited these communities they were easy to villainize and made out to look a threat to the rest of the country. Although the stigma over time changed they were looked at as savages and cults for much of the beginning of the century.

Leaders
Antônio Conselheiro is one of the most famous preachers from 1870s until his eventual death in 1897. He led a group of immigrants and former slaves preaching that the judgement day would happen. This community grew to 30,000 people until the government saw them as a threat and eventually attacked them. War of Canudos took place and killed more than half of the population. This event took place in Canudos, a area in the Bahia. He is among the most famous preachers within this time period as his story took the nation of Brazil by storm. The disapproval from the government as well as the size of the community was something that both scared not only the newly formed government but also the general population.

Padre Cícero is a Saint declared by Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. He started preaching in the 1870s and gained a extremely large following. While he claimed that he was a Priest for the Catholic church he was accused os heresy by the church and was suspended from preaching. This later changed however as he went on to pursue a career in politics and become the first mayor of Juazeiro where he was in office for over 20 years. Much like Conselheiro he was under stress from the government and was looked at as a threat. This however changed once he met with Pope Leo XIII and was granted partial reprieve.

Maria de Araújo was someone who took up Padre Cicero's teachings and was considered blessed by the people of their community. While she was never recognized by the church many saw her as a saint and believed that she had the ability to preform miracles. Her main influence came in the 1890s after she had joined the community of Juazeiro. As her legend grew within the community she became a important leader within the community. This was uncommon for a woman to be in a position of power within in religion at this time however her ability and praise from Padre Cicero allowed her to become successful.

Legacy
The preachers and mystics were a extremely influential during this period. They were able to prosper while the newly formed government of Brazil was struggling to take control of the country. With the abolition of slavery and lack of religion within the state of Bahia this lead to the perfect opportunity for these preachers to come in and affect their communities in a positive light. These communities were largely crime free as well as drug free. During this time drug abuse and crime was common in Bahia. People seeking refuge from this hard lifestyle would come to these communities and live a peaceful life. These leaders made a positive influence on the northern state of Brazil and allowed people who had nothing to live a life that would not have been possible without these leaders.