José da Silva Pais

Who was José da Silva Pais?

José da Silva Pais was a Portuguese soldier, military engineer and colonial administrator in the Portuguese colony of Brazil.

He was involved in diverse situations in the disputed territories between the Portuguese and Spanish in the territory that today is the South region in Brazil. He organized the support for the Sacramento Colony during the Spanish–Portuguese War, and went head-to-head with his Spanish rival, Don Pedro de Ceballos Cortez y Calderón.

For the purpose of maintaining the southern territory in the hands of Portugal, Pais founded the city of Rio Grande in 1737 and projected and built the Fort Jesus Maria e José. That area was the object of the Spanish incursions commanded by Pedro de Ceballos, who invaded it twice.

On Santa Catarina Island, when it was in Spanish hands under the authority of Pedro de Ceballos, the Brigadier General Pais invaded and took the island for Portugal, placing himself as governor. He remained governor of the captaincy of Santa Catarina from 1739 until 1745.