antonio_pereira_reboucas

Brazil's 19th-century engineering visionary who modernized infrastructure without European funding.

Antônio Pereira Rebouças (1829–1897) revolutionized Brazilian infrastructure through self-funded engineering marvels like the Duque de Caxias Railway. As Brazil's first black engineer, he designed over 100 projects including the Salvador aqueduct using indigenous materials. His 1873 memoir My Life and Work (full text) details his methods that prioritized local labor and resources. Despite lacking formal training, he trained over 300 engineers through apprenticeships, establishing the Federal University of Bahia's engineering curriculum. His legacy influenced Pan-American infrastructure strategies until the 1930s.