Mem de Sá

captain-general of Brazil

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In donatário
…of the succeeding captain general, Mem de Sá (1557–72), workable policies for the colony were formed and implemented, and vigorous attempts were made to gather the Indians into settlements. There were eight captaincies by 1580, and Brazil had become an economically viable, though not a wealthy, colony. Its capital was…
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In Brazil: Dutch and French incursions
A large Portuguese force under Mem de Sá, the governor-general, blockaded the entrance to the harbour, eventually forced the French garrison to surrender, and founded (in 1567) the city of Rio de Janeiro to ward off future attacks.
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