This chapter introduces a term used by the rebels, the “bandeirantes of freedom,” analyzing it as an on-the-fly discourse to meet the changing needs of the rebellion. The use of bandeirante imagery can be understood as the tenentes needing to depict their inland march as a strategic choice. If they were seen as failed rebels forced to wander the backlands, the column would likely lose its public support—and perhaps lead to even more of its soldiers deserting. But, if seen as modern-day bandeirantes, the rebels could march through the backlands with a perceived sense of purpose and bravery as agents of the modern nation. Unlike the colonial bandeirantes, for whom conquest meant the capture of interior bodies and resources, the Prestes Column began presenting itself as fighting against the injustices of life in the Brazilian interior.