The uniform bachelors

color, meritocracy and social mobility in the Praia Vermelha Military School (1870-1880).

Abstract

The aim of this article is to think, trough the thirteen redeemed trajectories by the fés de ofício of the military, how the merit discourse was practiced inside the Praia Vermelha Military School. Anchored to this, we sought to understand how the color and social background of students influenced the implementation of the meritocracy discourse. After all, we try to show the ambiguity in the principle of merit which, on the one hand, promotes the abilities of a brown student of poor origin and, on the other hand, maintains protection through the old order.