Colonial History of Santa Catarina

After the establishment of the colonial system through hereditary captaincies in Portuguese America, the Captaincy of Santana was created, ranging from the then founded Vila de Santo Antônio dos Anjos da Laguna to the territory of Paranaguá, in the nowdays homonymous state. The Captaincy of Santana lasted from 1534 until 1709, with the creation of the Captaincy of Santa Catarina in 1709, it covered all the coast of Santa Catarina and Paranaguá.

Most of the territory of both capitanias were composed of territory of Laguna, Covering from the central coast of Rio Grande do Sul until Paranaguá. Laguna was based on the port economy, unlike other regions of the colony, was based on commerce and as a stopping point for other regions of the continent, especially Uruguay and Argentina.