^ Aren't the three southern Brazilian states more similar to the US north? As in, whiter, more industrialized, settlement by European farmers than by African slaves, sense of superiority over the rest of the nation, etc?
Slavery was more scarce in the three southern states, but still existed, in the ranchs that produced beef. However, in the mid 19th century, when slavery was still legal, the southern Brazil was settled by Italian/German immigrants, who started agriculture in small farms.
The three southern states have the best education and health indicators in Brazil. However, the richest and most industrialized state in Brazil is São Paulo, located in the Southeast. São Paulo was a big coffee exporter in the 19th century. The coffee farms used slave labor. Before the abolition, some farms already started to replace African slaves by Italian free workers. In the early 20th century, coffee businessmen started to invest the profits they earned selling coffee in the manufacturing. The Italian workers, who earned wages, were a consumer market for the manufactures.
It is easier to compare São Paulo to the southern USA than to the northern USA.
