The war was made of scary writings: the pamphlets on the Independence of Brazil (Cisplatine Province, 1821-1824)

ABSTRACT In this paper I analyze the way that the pamphlets were used as a political tool in the Cisplatine province during the process of independence from Brazil. Studies on the press during the Brazilian emancipation have a prominent place and receive more and more contributions, whether in regional studies, in conceptual discussions, in models or forms of politics and citizenship. The pamphlets, in this sense, provide increasing prominence, offering access to an important means of mobilization and political dispute, with sources that point to the more dynamic and popular character of the development of the public sphere and the process of politicization of society. From this perspective, this work was organized in three parts. In the first, I discuss the definitions of what a pamphlet is and its basic characteristics of form and content. In the second, the public spaces of Montevideo are contemplated to demonstrate the importance of understanding where these loose sheets were printed and discussed, their linguistic context. And finally, I analyze the debates about the future of the province through these forms.