Biography

Researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History since 2008.

She holds a PhD in History, with a speciality in Contemporary History (NOVA FCSH), with the thesis “Espaços da Lisboa Operária. Trabalho, habitação, associativismo e intervenção operária na cidade na última década do século XIX“.

She holds a Master’s degree in Science and Geographical Information Systems (NOVA Information Management School), with the dissertation “Caminho-de-ferro e População na Cova da Beira (1878-1930). Um modelo de acessibilidade”. Graduated in History-Archaeology (NOVA FCSH).

She is the author of the scientific writings:
“Uma geografia da Lisboa operária em 1890”, Proceedings of the I Congresso de História do Movimento Operário e dos Movimentos Sociais em Portugal, Instituto de História Contemporânea, Lisbon, 2016, pp. 38-52
“A indústria conserveira e a evolução urbana de Setúbal, (1854-1914)”, MUSA – Museus, Arqueologia & Outros Patrimónios, vol. 3, 2010, pp. 237-247

She is the co-author of, among others, the scientific writings:
“Population and Railways in Portugal (1801 – 1930)”, História, Património e Infraestruturas do Caminho-de-Ferro: Visões do Passado e Perspectivas do Futuro, 2014, pp. 63 – 89.
“The Evolution of Population Distribution on the Iberian Peninsula: A Transnational Approach (1877-2001)”, Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, 2013, pp. 157-174.
“The impact of railroad accessibility on the population of Portugal’s Inland North Region (1878-1930). The Tua and the Beira Baixa lines”, Railroads in Historical Context: construction, costs and consequences, 2012, pp. 95-117.
“Caminhos-de-ferro, população e desigualdades territoriais em Portugal, 1801-1930”, Ler História, no. 61, 2011, pp.7-39.

Research fields

• Urban history
• History of labour, of industry, and of transports
• Geographical information systems applied to history
• 19th century

Selected publications

• Alcântara, Ana, “Uma geografia da Lisboa operária em 1890,” in Atas do I Congresso de História do Movimento Operário e dos Movimentos Sociais em Portugal, 13-15 de março de 2013, FCSH-UNL, Vol. I., coordinated by António Simões do Paço, Cátia Teixeira, Paula Godinho, Raquel Varela, and Virgílio Borges Pereira, 38–52. Lisbon: Instituto de História Contemporânea, 2016. [link] 🔓
• Espinha da Silveira, Luís, Daniel Alves, Marco Painho, Ana Cristina Costa & Ana Alcântara. “The Evolution of Population Distribution on the Iberian Peninsula: A Transnational Approach (1877-2001),” Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History 46 (2013): 157-174. [link].
• Espinha da Silveira, Luís, Daniel Alves, Nuno Miguel Lima, Ana Alcântara & Josep Puig. “Population and Railways in Portugal, 1801-1930,” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 42 (2011): 29-52. [link]
• Espinha da Silveira, Luís, Nuno Miguel Lima & Ana Alcântara, “The impact of railroad accessibility on the population of Portugal’s Inland North Region (1878-1930). The Tua and the Beira Baixa lines,” in Proceedings of the FOZTUA International Conference: Railroads in Historical Context: Construction, costs and consequences. Volume I, edited by Anne McCants, Eduardo Beira, José M. Lopes Cordeiro, and Paulo Lourenço, 95-117. Vila Nova de Gaia: Inovatec, 2011.

Main projects

• Research technician of the project “The Development of European Waterways, Road and Rail Infrastructures: A Geographical Information System for the History of European Integration (1825-2005)” — Coordinated by Jordi Marti-Henneberg (Departament de Geografia i Sociologia – Universitat de Lleida) and funded by the European Science Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology. 2008-2011 [link]
• Team member of the project “DICTIONARIUM – Cartografar as Memórias Paroquiais de 1758” — Coordinated by Luís Espinha da Silveira and funded by POS_Conhecimento POS_C644/4.2/C/REG. 2007-2008.
• Team member of the project “Desenvolver o Sigma – Sistema de Informação Geográfica e Modelação de Dados Aplicado à História de Portugal” — Coordinated by Luís Espinha da Silveira and funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology. [POCTI/HAR/39204/2001] 2002-2005