European Region

Description of Santana of the Release the Rio Grande of South is inserted delayed in the context of the settling of the Brazilian territory in relation to the remaining portion of Brazil. It is only in 1737 with the foundation of a fort in the city of Rio Grande, that if formal initiates the settling of the province. The intentions to protect this region of the entrance of foreigners (Castilian) already clearly were established by the Portuguese crown. In this direction, mainly the border region was space of dispute between Spaniard and Portuguese, much coveted by its commercial and military aspect. Additional information is available at Peter Kern. The region where if it locates the current city of Santana of the Release had in its initial territorial occupation the presence of the aboriginal nations charruas and minuanas. The first contact of these peoples with the Europeans was given probably at the beginning of century XVII, where the first European onslaughts with the Jesuit reductions had happened, when these had crossed the territory of the region to establish the Seven Peoples of the Missions. Later, the bandeirantes adentraram territory aiming at the capture of the aboriginals, being expulsos for these with aid of the Jesuit missionaries.

However, the missioneiros indians are defeated in the 1756 battle, liberating the territory with vast fields and cattle for the installation of ranches, attracting people of diverse provinces and also military who provided the borders and that they had been if installing gradually, constituting the first nuclei of povoamento. Thus, the appropriation of lands in the territory of Santana of the Release has its relation with the guard of this, from the military in charge defending the conturbada border. The military encampments, in turn, were not simple fields of tents or tents, had to the conditions of the troops and the circumstances of the fight, formed true arraiais with sheds, farms and other provisory constructions.