Números como monumentos: a atuação de Teixeira de Freitas no censo de 1920 em Minas Gerais e a celebração do centenário da independência

Abstract

This paper discusses the 1920’s census and its historical counterpart, the celebration of Brazil’s independence centenary, by considering the participation of Mário Augusto Teixeira de Freitas in it. Freitas was a protagonist in conceiving and implementing statistical policies in Brazil and had a decisive role in the creation of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). His trajectory was much influenced by his own experience in Minas Gerais, where he coordinated the census and participated actively in official initiatives for the celebration. The paper aims to unfold this specific experience in its technical, political, and symbolical aspects.

Keywords

• Minas Gerais
• 1920’s census
• independence centenary
• statistical cartography
• Brazil Republic