Antônio Simões Cavalheiro

the trajectory of a military colonist and municipal councilor in the border region (1882-1917)

Abstract

This article analyzes the political trajectory of Antônio Simões Cavalheiro, highlighting his role as a councilman in the municipality of Palmas and as a local leader residing in the former Colônia Militar do Xapecó during the early decades of the twentieth century. The research is based on the analysis of regional press sources and official documentation, employing the Evidentiary Paradigm as a methodological approach to interpret traces, discourses, and strategies of legitimation. It seeks to understand the forms of political insertion, the construction of local authority, and the articulation between municipal institutions and the realities of the Colony. The Contestado War and the territorial dispute between Paraná and Santa Catarina are addressed as contextual elements that shaped regional politics. By examining Cavalheiro’s trajectory, the study contributes to a broader understanding of local power dynamics during Brazil’s First Republic.