Abstract:This article analyses the non-mercantiles ways of accumulation in the Fluminense colonial society of the period between 1650 and 1750. Its objective is to explore the specific aspects showed by this kind of accumulation and to analyse its importance in comparison with accumulation of capital stricto sensu. The period studied is marked by intense social and economic transformations, resulting both from internal evolutions and what could be considered an external phenomenon, the discovery of gold in Minas Gerais and the subsequent colonization of the interior of Portuguese America. Our objective is to show how these transformations influenced the strategies of accumulation adopted by diverse local social groups.
Key-words: Socio-economic history; colonial society; social stratagies.