ANA JANSEN: one of the forerunners of female entrepreneurship in Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to understand, through research, the entrepreneurial profile of D. Ana Jansen at a time when society was strongly patriarchal in the province of Maranhão, in the middle of the nineteenth century. For this we sought to solve the problem of how D. Ana Jansen developed her administrative and managerial capacity, outlining her entrepreneurial profile, in a period where society was strongly dominated by the male figure, both in the political and commercial spheres, in São Luís. Through of objective, which is to identify D. Ana Jansen's entrepreneurial profile, became necessary to recognize the economic and social characteristics of the province of Maranhão in the nineteenth century, its aspects related to entrepreneurship in Maranhão and the prominent role that D. Ana Jansen achieved through  its performance in politics, administration, economy and society in Maranhão. The methodology used was the qualitative approach of basic research, with bibliographic and documentary survey about the categories of Brazilian commerce in the nineteenth century; Maranhão province and the figure of D. Ana Jansen, as a pioneer of female entrepreneurship in the state.  In addition, the qualitative method and content analysis were used to treat the data and information collected through the literature review in general.  After the study, it was found that the female entrepreneurship of D. Ana Jansen in the nineteenth century began from his life experiences and his actions in the political context in which he was in the province of Maranhão.  It also demonstrates his skills and opportunities to run a business and manage public office at the time, where he thus gained his place in Maranhão society and created his own way to multiply his heritage.  The present study identified the characteristics and traits of life as a professional that formed D. Ana Jansen's entrepreneurial profile and, being the pioneer in the potable water distribution trade, a business model consistent with the current.