Port of Droughts: the anonymous workers of the port of Natal (1861-1932)

Abstract

The imperial government, from the second half of the 19th century, initiated a policy to increase transport infrastructure, with two fronts of actions, railways and ports. As the railroad’s construction advanced, the ports were only successful started improving at the beginning of the republican government. In the Northeast, these works were followed by prolonged droughts and their consequences, in particular, the migrantes fleeing the drought. Several solutions were found to deal with these “undesirables”. In Natal, they were employed in several compulsory activities, such as the improvement services of the capital’s port, whose records, even though inaccurate, keep their activities, their workforce and their bodies without faces. This article aims to analyze the forms of representation of these port workers in Natal from official documents, technical journals and newspapers. Thus, documentary sources used were technical and administrative reports, journals and photographic records, besides relevant bibliography. The anonymous character of these workers persists even when recorded in text and image, reinforcing an impersonal idea of their existence summarized only by their workforce.