The Bandeirantes were Brazilian colonial scouts who took part in the Bandeiras, exploration expeditions. Through these, the Bandeirantes expanded Portuguese America from the small limits of the Tordesilhas Line to roughly the same territory as current Brazil. This expansion discovered mineral wealth that made the fortune of Portugal during the 17th and 18th centuries. Bandeiras The Bandeiras were the expeditions by Paulistas and allied Indians to find precious metals and stones, enslave indigen… (More on Bandeirantes)