Abstract:
The history of childhood in Santarém includes several contexts, from the celebrities
existence, which build our people s history, to résumé of writings of authors who were
and are dedicated in defense of child s rights. Philippe Ariès glance, on his work
Social history of child and family, has brought us near to medieval and modern
reports on childish population, to many ways of being a child , to the disrespect and
prejudice that surround children. Maria Luiza Marcílio, on her work History of children
in Brazil, presents us the causes of children s abandonment in 19th century, among
them, the subject of poverty, death or parents disregard, diseases, defense of noble
women s honor, elitized, the family honor. In the 20th century, factors as urbanization,
emigrations from rural area to urban area, the European immigration and woman s
exemption on job market were and have been one of many causes of children s
abandonment. Mary Del Priori s reports, on her work History of the children in Brazil,
have been served as support to understand the childish illustration in the periods of
Brazil Cologne, Empire and Republic. The educational emotional and ethical
contempt to this group is perceptible since the first foundations of our politics; only
the dominant group has enjoyed privilege because of an exclusionist and excluding
philosophy. In the past, the famous Saint Houses of Mercy, the Wheels of the
Exposed Ones were remarkable. Today the nomenclature has been changed for
child s pastorals, day cares, shelters, homes, NGOs for children. The obtained
reports at the records of the institutions that militate for child s rights have served us
as base for historical verification before, during and after their implantation. The child
of Santarém had not its rights warranted because of the lack of knowledge and
political actions that could warrant or protect it. The political group, which should
foment projects, didn t take an attitude, until the civil society was organized and has
began the first fomentations on behalf of child s rights, starting the Council of Rights,
Fund and Guardian Council. Now, countless institutions, especially the civil and
religious society, have articulated and registered their projects in partnership with
Municipal Council of Child's and Teenager s Rights, an agency of great importance
on the development of public politics in defense of the tiny children s interests.
