The study of prostitution in early modern England is often informed by incorrect terminology. The modern historiographical use of the term “prostitute” is misleading, as the term did not appear until the sixteenth century, and the act of selling sex did not come to dominate understandings of whoredom until many years later. This thesis examines the etymological history of the term “prostitute” and its cognates, and their changing legal, economic, and cultural meanings. This thesis investigates the intersection of late medieval and early modern conceptions of illicit sex with the rise of commercial capitalism to track the conceptual development of transactional sex as a commodity. Despite the influence of commercial capitalism on aspects of sexual immorality and developing conceptions of difference between paid and unpaid illicit sex, the primary division remained between chaste and unchaste women throughout the whole of the early modern period.

Nesta tese estudamos as redes de comércio compostas pelos cristãos novos portugueses em um período particular da Época Moderna: durante a União Ibérica (1580-1640). Na primeira parte do trabalho conectamos as redes de comércio com duas problemáticas: a da identidade cristã nova e a da relação ente cristãos novos, Inquisição e Coroa espanhola. Nesse sentido, salientamos as estratégias dos homens de negócios e cristãos novos portugueses frente às tensões geradas pela perseguição inquisitorial e os estatutos de limpeza de sangue. Na segunda parte do trabalho estudamos um caso exemplar das conexões e tensões mencionadas acima: a história da rede familiar de António Fernandes dElvas, homem de negócio e cristãos novo português, mercador e traficante de escravos, que atuava no Mundo Ibérico, em especial no comércio ultramarino. Nesta tese consideramos que havia uma relação de reciprocidade entre a identidade cristã nova influenciava na organização dos cristãos novos em redes de comércio e essas, por sua vez, que reforçavam a identidade. / This thesis focuses on the Portuguese New Christians commercial networks in a specific period of the Modern Ages: the Iberian Union (1580-1640). The first part of this work connects the trade networks with two major issues: the new Christian identity, and the relationship between New Christians, the Inquisition and the Spanish Crown. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the strategies of businessmen and Portuguese New Christians in face of the tensions generated by inquisitorial persecution and the statutes of \"purity of blood\". The second part of this work analyzes an exemplary case of the connections and tensions above mentioned: the story of António Fernandes d\'Elvas and his family network. A business man and Portuguese New Christian, dElvas was a merchant and slave trader in the Iberian world, especially in overseas trade. This thesis considers that there was a reciprocal relationship between the New Christian identity and the organization of New Christians trade networks, in which the identity influenciated the organization of the trades and the trades reinforced the identity.

Nesta tese estudamos as redes de comércio compostas pelos cristãos novos portugueses em um período particular da Época Moderna: durante a União Ibérica (1580-1640). Na primeira parte do trabalho conectamos as redes de comércio com duas problemáticas: a da identidade cristã nova e a da relação ente cristãos novos, Inquisição e Coroa espanhola. Nesse sentido, salientamos as estratégias dos homens de negócios e cristãos novos portugueses frente às tensões geradas pela perseguição inquisitorial e os estatutos de limpeza de sangue. Na segunda parte do trabalho estudamos um caso exemplar das conexões e tensões mencionadas acima: a história da rede familiar de António Fernandes dElvas, homem de negócio e cristãos novo português, mercador e traficante de escravos, que atuava no Mundo Ibérico, em especial no comércio ultramarino. Nesta tese consideramos que havia uma relação de reciprocidade entre a identidade cristã nova influenciava na organização dos cristãos novos em redes de comércio e essas, por sua vez, que reforçavam a identidade. / This thesis focuses on the Portuguese New Christians commercial networks in a specific period of the Modern Ages: the Iberian Union (1580-1640). The first part of this work connects the trade networks with two major issues: the new Christian identity, and the relationship between New Christians, the Inquisition and the Spanish Crown. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the strategies of businessmen and Portuguese New Christians in face of the tensions generated by inquisitorial persecution and the statutes of \"purity of blood\". The second part of this work analyzes an exemplary case of the connections and tensions above mentioned: the story of António Fernandes d\'Elvas and his family network. A business man and Portuguese New Christian, dElvas was a merchant and slave trader in the Iberian world, especially in overseas trade. This thesis considers that there was a reciprocal relationship between the New Christian identity and the organization of New Christians trade networks, in which the identity influenciated the organization of the trades and the trades reinforced the identity.