Clio: Revista de Pesquisa Histórica (Jun 2011)
THE SARAIVA LAW AND THE NEW PROFILE OF THE ELECTORATE EMPIRE
Abstract
The electoral reform of 1881, nominated Lei Saraiva, was know to drastically cut of the political rights in Brazil, mainly for remove the illiterate population of the polls. This gap in the path of the construction of citizenship, however, was poorly studied and some of their guidelines still remain unclear. This paper aims to contribute to discussions on the Imperial electoral system, explaining the basis of Lei Saraiva, and its impact on the formulation of a new profile to the Brazilian electorate