.
privates; Baixo Amazonas; business in the backlands; mercy.
This work aims to understand the expansion of the colonial frontier to the Lower Amazon region during the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. The period chosen refers to the first initiatives of Portuguese military advancement seen in the creation of colonial administration centers in the backlands – fortresses – in Tapajós, Paúxis and Paru. The focus of the analysis is on expansion policies that involved individuals committed to overseas conquest, being rewarded with titles, posts and properties through what is called the "practice of mercy". Furthermore, it is highlighted how these individuals were involved in profitable businesses in the backlands, by sending canoes to collect drugs from the backlands and to bring indigenous people down, actions made possible when navigating the rivers. These practices, made possible by the dynamics of the space, could or could not be aligned with the expansion objectives of the Portuguese Crown. The sources used include chronicles and documents from the Archives Histórico Ultramarino (AHU), Público do Estado do Pará (APEP) and Nacional da Torre do Tombo (ANTT).