Between Rivers and Hinterlands

Navigation and Settlement in Northern Goiás (1750–1850)

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between river navigation and settlement in Northern Goiás between 1750 and 1850, a region that later became the present-day state of Tocantins. Based on administrative reports, expedition accounts, travelers' narratives, and official documents, the study examines how the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers became important routes of circulation, communication, and territorial occupation. The research demonstrates that river navigation contributed to the expansion of colonial presence, the formation of population centers, and the integration of Goiás with Pará and Maranhão. At the same time, it highlights the limits of settlement in the hinterlands, marked by indigenous resistance, transportation difficulties, and administrative fragility.