This article investigates the rumors that circulated between the years 1788-89, in the captaincy of Minas Gerais, about the threat of the derrama, a tax on gold extraction. In general, the historiography relates the collection of the tax to the emergence of a popular revolt, interpreted as a "spasmodic" reaction to the material extortion. This interpretation underscores the political frivolity attributed to the poor, who are considered unable to react, except when beset by hunger or by material pressures. However, considering the rumors about the derrama, it is possible to question the validity of this postulate. The social impact of the tax, the criteria of proportionality based on individual wealth and the existence of economic dependence mechanisms indicate that the derrama, before being offensive to the poor, collided with the interests of the local elite.
derrama; rumors; rebellion; Minas Gerais Conspiracy; eighteenth century.