“And Spain Did Not Even Come to the Rescue:” Fueling Luso-Brazilian Resistance During the Dutch Challenge for Brazil

Hunger stalks armies, a well-known fact. In the Luso-Dutch battle for Brazil (1630–1654), the threat of starvation affected not only men on the move, but also recruitment and morale. This chapter highlights the 1638 Dutch siege of Bahia to examine how on-the-ground provisioning helped tip the war towards the Portuguese. Warned by spies of a well-stocked Dutch West India Company fleet cruising from Recife to the Bay of All Saints, resistance troops coordinated with local settlers in preparation for a drawn-out conflict. Ample food supplies proved critical during the forty-day siege. With no aid from the metropole, deep provisioning proved to be a vital weapon against the Netherlanders. Fueled by settler support and local food supplies, the resistance emerged victorious from the Dutch assault. Manioc, a hardy, indigenous root crop, proved especially important in provisioning. For Luso-Brazilians, the plant evolved in status from lowly native sustenance to “war food,” and a symbol of resistance against the Dutch.