Americana, São Paulo

The first records on the occupation of the lands where Americana now stands date from the late 18th century, when Domingos da Costa Machado I acquired a crown property between the municipalities of Vila Nova da Constituição (now Piracicaba) and Vila de São Carlos (now Campinas). In that area several estates were created, including Salto Grande, Machadinho, and Palmeiras. A part of the property, which included the Machadinho estate, was sold by Domingos da Costa Machado II to Antônio Bueno Rangel. After Rangel's death, the estate was divided between his sons José and Basílio Bueno Rangel. A part of the property was afterwards sold to the captain of the Brazilian National Guard, Ignácio Corrêa Pacheco, who is considered the founder of Americana. Confederate immigration In 1866, the region started to be populated with American immigrants from the former Confederate States of America, who were fleeing the aftermath of the American Civil War. The Emperor Dom Pedro II was a fierce advocate of the South during the war, and openly recruited the former Confederates, offering free transport, cheap land, and an easy path to citizenship. The first immigrant to arrive was the lawyer and ex-state senator from Alabama, colonel William Hutchinson Norris. Norris installed himself in lands near the seat of the Machadinho estate and the Quilombo River. Between 8,000 and 20,000 former Confederates emigrated to Brazil (not all to this one town). Slaves were inexpensive in Brazil, one noted, and at least 54 families bought 536 slaves after arrival in Brazil. In 1875, almost a decade after the arrival of the Confederate immigrants in the region, the Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro completed the expansion of its main railway to the city of Rio Claro. A station was built within the lands of the Machadinho estate. Despite belonging to the municipality of Campinas, the station was made to serve the estates in the municipality of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, which was further away and had no station of its own. The small town formed around the station was named "Villa da Estação de Santa Bárbara" (Santa Bárbara Station Town). Its inhabitants consisted mainly of American families, and the town became thus popularly known as "Villa dos Americanos" (Town of the Americans). The many Confederates brought us the wheelbarrow, watermelon, cotton and the plow. The city celebrates an annual Confederate festival, named the "Festa Confederada". The Confederate flag is prominently displayed, and men dress as Confederate soldiers. Carioba In the 1890s, the farm known as Fazenda Salto Grande was purchased by the American Clement Willmot. Willmot established the first industry in Americana under the name Clement H. Willmot & Cia. In 1889, the factory was renamed Fábrica de Tecidos Carioba (Carioba Textile Factory). The name "Carioba" derives from the Tupi words for "white cloth". The factory ran into financial trouble after the abolition of slavery in 1888, and was purchased by German immigrants who were members of the Müller family. The town of Carioba sprang up around the factory. German immigrants brought European-style urbanization to Carioba which is reflected in the style of its manors, factories, hotels, and schools. Asphalt of tar was then first imported from Europe into Americana and utilized in road paving. The factory became the basis for the present-day Parque Industrial de Americana (Industrial Park of Americana). Autonomy With the change in status from village to district, Americana developed rapidly. Its first police force was created, a sub prefecture was established, and three street lights – lit by kerosene and brought from Germany – were introduced. A school was also established, with the sending of the educator Silvino José de Oliveira to represent Americana's interests with the state government. All of these developments led the local inhabitants to clamor for the status of a city. In 1922, Villa Americana was one of the most progressive districts in Campinas with a population of 4,500. In this year, the fight to change its status to city began, led by Antonio Lobo and others, such as Lieutenant Antas de Abreu, Cícero Jones and Hermann Müller himself. Their efforts finally bore fruit: on November 12, 1924, the Municipality of Villa Americana was created, comprising two districts: Villa Americana and Nova Odessa, Nova Odessa later becoming its own municipality. Constitutionalist Revolution and economic development At the time of the beginning of the Getúlio Vargas dictatorship in Brazil in 1930, Americana was undergoing a profound economic transformation due to the rise of the textile industry there (the city was known as the "Rayon Capital"). In 1932, during the administration of Mayor Antonio Zanaga, the revolt known as the Constitutionalist Revolution erupted against Vargas' regime. Americana sent volunteers to this revolution, and three of them, Jorge Jones, Fernando de Camargo and Aristeu Valente (from Nova Odessa, then part of Americana), perished during the struggle. Their sacrifice is remembered in Americana to this day. In 1938, Mayor Zanaga changed the name of the town from Villa Americana to Americana, and due to the economic transformation of the town, the Comarca of Americana was created on December 31, 1953, during the administration of Mayor Jorge Arbix. In 1959, during the administration of Mayor Abrahim Abraham, Nova Odessa was made autonomous as its own municipality. Between 1960 and 1970, the rapid development of Americana led many people to move there in search of work. Because of its size, there was not enough room to accommodate the new residents and many lived on the border of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste and Americana, creating what is known today as Zona Leste de Santa Bárbara (East Santa Barbara). The same also occurred because the majority of the population were unaware of the location where one municipality ended and where another began. The confusion came about because municipal limits were not yet fully determined. The problem was solved with the creation of a major avenue, today called Avenida da Amizade (Friendship Avenue), which became the dividing line. At the same time as these developments, some problems were also created. The sudden increase in population caused an imbalance in the public accounts of the municipality, which was not ready for such a great number of new residents. ==Geography==

Location Americana is located in the center-east region of the state of São Paulo, Southeast Region. • from São Paulo • from the Port of Santos • from Campinas • from São Carlos • from São Bernardo do Campo • from Piracicaba • from REPLAN em Paulínia Climate Americana has an altitude tropical climate, with hot summers and chilly winters. In winter, there is much less rainfall than in summer. According to Köppen and Geiger the climate classification is Aw. The median high temperature in summer is and the median low is , comparable to Boston. In winter, the median high temperature is and the median low temperature is , comparable to Orlando, Florida. In Americana, the month with the most daily hours of sunshine is February with an average of 9.37 hours of sunshine. In total, there are 290.43 hours of sunshine in February. The month with the fewest daily hours of sunshine in Americana is January with an average of 8.87 hours of sunshine per day. In total, there are 266.09 hours of sunshine in January. About 3251.14 hours of sunshine are counted in Americana throughout the year. On average, there are 106.92 hours of sunshine per month. Ecology Amblyomma sculptum and A. dubitatum are common here. ==Demography==

Population According to the 2022 IBGE Census, as of August 2022, Americana had a population of 237,240 and a population density of 1,771.61 (inhabitants / km2). Ethnic groups The population mainly descends from American Southerners and a mixture of Portuguese, Italian, German and Levantine immigrants, as well as some indigenous Brazilian and African peoples. Because of its origins as a village settled by American Confederates, it received the name "Americana", referring to "cidade" or city, the feminine form of "American", which in Portuguese means any native of the Americas, although often applied only to US citizens. Main ethnic groups: • 84.6% White • 12.0% Pardo (mixed-race) • 2.4% Black • 0.8% Asian • 0.2% Native American ==Neighborhoods==

The municipality is currently divided into 10 planning areas, through the Integrated Development Master Plan, and the city is made up of 300 neighborhoods. ==Culture==

Theaters • The Teatro Arena Elis Regina, or the Elis Regina Arena Theater (named after Elis Regina) was built in 1981 and became a venue for various artists. It was then abandoned to a state of dilapidation, having become a site of illegal activities. In 2000, reconstruction began, reopening on September 22, 2004. The theater was rebuilt with the idea of a circus in mind: it would offer various entertaining spectacles and activities simultaneously, and the theater was covered with a white canvas sheet, evoking the impression of lightness and brightness. The theater offers 1100 seats, two dressing rooms, and ample parking space. • Teatro Municipal Lulu Benencasse, or Lulu Benencasse Municipal Theater, opened in 1986, occupying the building of the old Cine Brasil, which for decades had been a hang-out for young americanenses. Since its inauguration, it has served as the venue for various cultural offerings, such as plays, dance performances, and music, as well as different social and artistic programs. The theater was chosen as a film location by the producers of the film Por Trás do Pano (1999, with Denise Fraga) due to its traditional appearance. It has 840 seats. Municipal Library The Municipal Library, named after the teacher Jandira Basseto Pântano, was founded on October 25, 1955. It occupies the old building belonging to the Academic Group "Dr. Heitor Penteado" on Comendador Müller Square, near the Church of Santo Antônio. It contains 41429 books on various general subjects and 9051 children's books, totalling 50,480 books (as of June 1999), as well as 114 various newspapers and 24,500 magazines, including children's. The average number of visitors in 1998 was 600 people, who mostly came in the afternoon. Its enrolled number of associates totals 31,900 people, as of December 1998. Jandira Basseto Pântano was born on October 27, 1918, in Americana. She received her elementary education at the Escolas Reunidas, one of the first schools founded in the city. She completed her education at Campinas and in January 1938 was named a substitute teacher at the Academic Group "Dr. Heitor Penteado" before becoming a full-time teacher there. She worked as a teacher at the school for 22 years, and was noted for her hard work and diligence. She worked with all of the grades, but she preferred to work with the fourth year students, and prepare them for the wider world. She retired on March 9, 1968, and died on June 7, 1988. Up until her death, she continued to receive students at her home, helping illiterate adults and poor children. Museums and cultural centers • Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC)): Founded in 1978, it is found in a building attached to the Municipal Library. It contains 260 works of art by contemporary artists, including paintings, sculpture, engravings, designs, photographs, and artistic installations. The museum features exhibitions by local artists and by artists from other cities, as well as workshops and classes. It also contains a library and holds an annual national contest, which gives the "Prêmio Revelação de Artes Plásticas" (Revelation Prize of Plastic Arts) to young artists. • "Conselheiro João Carrão" Historic and Pedagogical Museum (Museu Histórico e Pedagógico "Conselheiro João Carrão): This museum is located in the old farm known as Salto Grande built in colonial Minas Gerais style from taipa according to the "pilão" technique, where the material is piled and compressed into horizontal layers a course at a time, with foundations made from real wood. Located at the confluence of the Atibaia and Jaguari Rivers, the museum contains photographs, maps, historical artifacts and machines, furniture, and torture devices used during the slavery system. Religion • Roman Catholicism: Since the dismemberment of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Campinas in 1976, Americana fell under the diocese of Roman Catholic Diocese of Limeira. Americana has a strong Catholic tradition due to the influence of Luso-Brazilians and of its Italian immigrants, who first began arriving in 1887. The first church at Americana was built in the middle of 1896 and dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, who became the patron saint of the city. The city has one of the largest Catholic churches in the country built in the Neoclassical style, the New Church of Saint Anthony (Matriz Nova de Santo Antônio), the largest in the diocese. • Protestantism and evangelicalism: Americana is also home to adherents of Protestant denominations such as the Nazarene, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Assembly of God, Adventist, Pentecostal denominations such as Universal Church and Restorationist denominations such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Immigrants from the Southern United States brought with them various customs and religions, mostly of the Presbyterian and Baptist persuasions. Sports Rio Branco Esporte Clube, founded in 1913, is the football (soccer) club of the city. The team plays their home matches at Estádio Décio Vitta, which has a maximum capacity of 15,000 people. ==Infrastructure==

Bus station Named Terminal Rodoviario Francisco Luiz Bendilatti, the Americana bus station has been in operation since 1988 and is located in the Campo Limpo neighborhood. The location receives buses from more than thirty locations, which operate in the Southeast, South and Center-west regions of Brazil. The main cities connected with Americana bus station are São Paulo, Goiânia, Curitiba, Araraquara, Osasco, Limeira, Santo André, Cascavel, Londrina and Maringá. The Terminal has twenty-five cargo transport companies. Airport The main and closest airport in the area is in the neighboring city of Campinas, Campinas International Airport, and the main airport in Brazil and South America, in the city of São Paulo, São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, is in the same state. Sports In football, the city is represented by Rio Branco Esporte Clube, founded on August 4, 1913. Rio Branco played in series A1 of the Campeonato Paulista since 1992 and was relegated to A2 in 2009. It used to play in series C of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The team plays in Décio Vitta, with a capacity of 15,000. Americana is also the hometown of Paralympics swimmer Danilo Binda Glasser, winner of two bronze medals in the Paralympics of Sydney 2000 and at Athens 2004, and footballer Oscar, a silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, a 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup champion, a 2011–2012 UEFA Champions League champion Chelsea F.C. player. In 2014, the city hosted the first Pan-American Korfball Championship. ==Media==

In telecommunications, the city was served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo. In July 1998, this company was acquired by Telefónica, which adopted the Vivo brand in 2012. ==Notable people==

• Oscar, footballer ==See also==