Abstract
The article begins with a comparison of the ideas of blood, heredity, and race in treaties of nobility. This analysis aims to highlight the semantic variations of these concepts during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Portugal. Subsequently, it explores the administrative trajectory of Andre Vidal de Negreiros and his will that did not recognize his illegitimate children. Despite his father's will, the mulatto Matias Vidal de Negreiros was, by the grace of the king, recognized as legitimate, noble, and the administrator of his father's fortune. The case of Matias demonstrates how the military services he performed for the monarchy and his father's noble status allowed a mulatto and an illegitimate child to become a noble. Although he was rich and considered to be a fidalgo in Portugal, due to the color of his skin and the illegitimate nature of his birth, he faced strong opposition in Pernambuco and Paraíba, where the governors and local elites did not recognize his noble privileges. To enforce his honor and privileges overseas, Matias appealed in vain to the authorities in Lisbon.
Keywords:
nobility; heritage; race