Olavo Passos de Souza

Olavo Passos de Souza is a PhD Candidate at Stanford’s History department in the field of Latin American History as well as Transnational, International and Global History (TIG). His primary line of research focuses on early 19th century Brazil and the development of national identity and political structure within the nascent Brazilian nation. He is particularly interested in the history of ideas and the formation of new forms of governance. His ongoing dissertation, tentatively titled “Imagining an Empire: Constitutional Government and Federalism in Brazil, 1822-1842” discusses the failed liberal project for Brazil in the wake of independence, and the alternative path that his home nation might’ve followed.

In the history department, Olavo has developed multiple syllabi, having taught one of these “Independence or Death! The Transformation of Latin America in the Age of Revolution (1808-1831)” as a seminar class in 2023. He’s also worked as a peer mentor for history majors and is the founder and current chair of the department’s Latin American and Caribbean History Workshop (LACH).

Outside of his research and pedagogical work, Olavo’s also a translator and editor. His latest title being “Lendo o Rio de Janeiro: literatura e sociedade no século XIX” published in Portuguese in Brazil, originally in English by Professor Zephyr Frank. He also frequently contributes to a number of magazines, such as Jacobin, where he discusses contemporary Brazilian politics and history.