January 14 and January 16, 2024

Manaus and Santarem are two Brazilian ports located in the center of the Amazon rainforest. Rubber made them the richest cities in South America during the 1800’s. Many wealthy European families settled in these two cities and brought their love of European art, architecture and culture with them. They became some of the gaudiest cities in the world earning them the name “the Paris of the Tropics”. No extravagance, however absurd, deterred the rubber barons. It was told that they would water their horses on champagne!

But all of that was about to change.

In the late 1800’s seeds of the rubber tree were smuggled out of the Amazon region to be cultivated on farms in Southeast Asia. The impact on Brazil losing its monopoly on rubber as a product was abrupt. Many people left the cities and the area feel into poverty. The rubber boom had made possible electrification of the cities long before it was installed in many European cities. The rubber bust made generators too expensive to run and the cities “went dark” for decades.

Of note, was that in 1895 the residents of the cities began building a grand opera house with imported marble and crystal from Europe. The cost was 10 million dollars of public funds. Unfortunately, it was effectively closed for most of the 20th century. Only now has it begun to be refurbished.

So, what are the lessons that Manaus and Santarem teach us?

Well, first that pirating of intellectual property has been going on for a long time. Second, is that all of us must plan for unforeseen changes in our lives. The people of this region went from absurd wealth to dire poverty. Why? All because of

The power of a seed.

Thanks for travelling with us.