Simonsen structured his História Econômica do Brasil based on the theory of economic cycles and organised his chapters as to highlight each of Brazil's economic activities in the colonial period and their social and demographic effects. The author argues that, as a colony, Brazil was established to supply primary commodities to the metropolis, leading to successive periods of accumulated wealth that were subsequently wasted. The main diagnosis was that the wealth generated by primary export cycles was not permanent, because it was largely susceptible to fluctuations in the international market. Starting with an economic analysis of Brazil's colonial history, Simonsen was able to illustrate how economic dynamics were related to population movements and the territorial processes that shaped and defined Brazil. In order to assess Brazil's economic history according to the theory of economic cycles, he used the work of the Portuguese historian João Lúcio de Azevedo as his main reference. According to the author, "Lúcio de Azevedo, in his Épocas de Portugal Econômico [Epochs of Economic Portugal] shows the successive cycles in which the Portuguese economy gravitated from then on. The sugar cycle in which Portugal was able to breathe new life into itself (...), the gold and diamond cycle in the 18th century (...), Pombal's nationalist reaction, and finally, the attributions coming from the Napoleonic wars that had disorganised the old Portugal for so long. These phases will be examined in conjunction with the corresponding stages of the Brazilian economy." (R. Simonsen, História Econômica do Brasil , 1978, p. 41). Simonsen's assessment of the economic periods sought to challenge the colonial logic that relegated Brazil to the role of a mere supplier of primary commodities. This view contradicted the entrenched perception of Brazil’s agrarian vocation and supported the argument that overcoming the country’s underdevelopment and achieving autonomous development would require massive investment in industry. This topic is further explored in works such as Evolução Industrial do Brasil [Brazil's Industrial Evolution] (1939). Although less celebrated than works such as Casa Grande & Senzala [The Masters and the Slaves] (1933), Raízes do Brasil [Roots of Brazil] (1936) and Formação do Brasil Contemporâneo [Formation of Contemporary Brazil] (1942), História Econômica do Brasil became one of the first essays to highlight the importance of recognising the roots of Brazil's contemporary economic problems in its colonial history. The book has been read by important authors in Brazilian economic historiography, such as Caio Prado Junior, Celso Furtado and Fernando Novais, and has been recognised as one of the main references in the debate on Brazilian "backwardness".

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