Chapter 2 "Slavery"
The Slave Trade Begins
It didn't take long to start an industry that relied heavily on the slave trade
in the new Portuguese colonies. As a matter of fact the first slaves were imported
from Africa as early as 1535. That's only 35 years after Pedro Alves Cabral first
landed, and only three years after the organization of Brazil's first settlement.
Even earlier than this an attempt had been made to enslave the native South American
population. In much of the New World this had not been successful mostly because
of the lack of resistance to new diseases introduced by the colonists. In Brazil
most of the native inhabitants were also hunters and gatherers, and not accustomed
to the sedentary lifestyle that plantation work required. This may help explain
why the attempt at native slavery was so short lived.
The Quilombos
From the very beginning of the slave trade resistance was evident in many forms.
There is a common legend in capoeira lore that states that capoeira was originally
developed as a means of resistance against slave owners. The reality is probably
not quite so simple. Kicks and acrobatics would not have proven effective against
the weapons of the masters. More commonly, rather than in open confrontation, slaves
resisted by fleeing from their captors.
Often escaped slaves banded together with other freed or escaped slaves (and sometimes
native South Americans) and formed camps and small villages as forms of refuge.
We refer to these places as quilombos (or macombos). The largest and most well know
of these settlements is known as "O Quilombo dos Palmares," because of the abundance
of palm trees found there.
Palmares was located in northeastern Brazil in what is today the state of Alagoas
(Pernambuco at the time). It was originally formed in 1590 after a slave revolt
on a plantation in Pernambuco. It is believed that during its most prolific period
the various settlements in Palmares reached a population of almost twenty thousand
inhabitants.
O Quilombo dos Palmares was a completely autonomous society. Large modern plantations
of sugarcane, beans, cassava, and corn were maintained. Animals, especially chickens
and pigs were domesticated and raised. As it grew the inhabitants engaged in free
trade with the surrounding communities. Metalurgy was common and aided in the preservation
and defense of the society.
Interestingly it is believed that the predominant religion practiced in the Quilombo
dos Palmares was, at least in some form, a version of Christianity. There is little
doubt that original African traditions were more easily maintained far from controlling
masters. Many believe Palmares, and places like it were the birthplace and nurseries
of religions like Condomble that combined traditional African spiritualism and Christianity,
and artforms like capoeira.
The most famous ruler of Palmares was named Zumbi. Zumbi was born in 1655 in Palmares
but captured as a baby during a raid and given to a Catholic Priest to raise. While
in captivity he was taught Portuguese and Latin. When he was fifteen he escaped
and returned to Palmares, though there is evidence that he continued some contact
with the man that raised him. His experiences and education equipped him to be a
leader and made him distrusting of the Brazilians and their government.
Zumbi became the leader of Palmares after the previous leader Ganga Zumba struck
a deal with the governor of Pernambuco and agreed to leave the territory they occupied,
return any escaped slaves, and move to a less threatening location. Zumbi was one
of Ganga Zumba's generals, and in charge of training troops for war. When Ganga
Zumba left, Zumbi was the likely choice to remain and defend, which he did until
the great quilombo was finally destroyed by the Portuguese colonials in 1694. Many
people believe that Zumbi was elected "king" of Palmares by popular vote, and thus
became the first freely elected leader in the western world.
Zumbi escaped the final tragic battle and continued to evade capture for more than
a year. In the end his location was given up by a close friend. The colonials finally
found him with several of his men and killed them on the spot. His head was taken
to Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, where it was put on display as evidence that
he was not immortal, and as a warning to any would be escaped slaves of what fate
they might encounter.
Statistics about Zumbi and Palmares vary widely from one source to another. We don't
have any texts recorded by actual Palmarinos, only outside observers. The history
is full of legends like much of the history of capoeira. As is often the case with
oral (musical) tradition much of what actually happened is eventually lost. What
is most important to understand are the symbols that these figures represent: Zumbi,
the fierce, clever, strong rebel leader of the people and symbol of freedom, and
Palmares, the fertile place that gives birth to great warriors and great culture.
Abolition
In 1888 Brazil became the last country in the world to officially abolish the practice
of slavery. There had been great pressure to do so from many other countries including
Great Britain and eventually the United States.
A short time before being granted their freedom by the government, slaves literally
began walking off plantations in mass numbers. Recognizing the threat to their livelihood
owners began granting slaves their freedom and offering wages, though meager, if
they agreed to return to work. In many ways, this was really the end of slavery
in Brazil. The system just stopped working.
Princess Isabel, the daughter of Dom Pedro II is the one responsible for signing
the law, called the Lei Aurea (Golden Law), that ultimately freed the slaves. (In
true Brazilian monarchial fashion she did so while her dad was out of town.) Though
its consequences were immense, the law itself was simple consisting of only two
articles: 1 - that all slaves were free, and 2 - that any law stating otherwise
was invalid.
The monarchy lasted only one more year after the end of slavery. It was overthrown
by a military coup backed by wealthy landowners and the conservative Brazilian aristocracy.
Partially because of their perceived role in the abolition the monarchy had fallen
into disfavor and was replaced by a new ruling elite.
Post Abolition
History would demonstrate that life after the abolition was, in reality, not much
different than before. The Republic that replaced the monarchy was filled with wealthy,
educated and connected individuals. Though the slaves had found their freedom, much
of their world would not change significantly.
One of the most interesting figures of the abolitionist movement was Rui Barbosa
de Oliveira (1849-1923). He was a diplomat, jurist, and writer. He originally joined
the movement when he presented himself to a masonic lodge that required all new
members to free their own slaves and join the abolitionists.
Rui Barbosa served as minister of finance immediately
following the fall of the monarchy in 1889. One of the first tasks he undertook
as minister of finance was to see that all records of the slave trade to Brazil
were destroyed. He literally ordered the burning of any register that referred to
the slave trade. This is one of the major reasons that so little is known about
the slaves in Brazil, and things like capoeira that came out of that era. The records
simply don't exist.
Rui Barbosa claimed that he ordered the burning of the archives in an attempt to
erase the negative mark that slavery had left on the history of Brazil. In reality
he was probably trying to destroy any evidence that could be used by plantation
owners to sue the new government for their loss of livelihood. It seems this would
be a more likely motive for a minister of finance (not the "minister of rewriting
history").
Conclusion
Slavery existed in Brazil for more than 250 years, that accounts for half of the
history of the country. The African culture, and the slave culture, are more evident
in the modern culture of Brazil than in any other country in the Americas. There
is evidence in the language, the food, music and just about every other artform.
It permeates the country.
The United States of Brazil even went through a period called "branqueamento," or
"whitening," that was a form of social darwinism in an attempt to create a more
European and less African society. Immigration from Europe was encouraged, and immigrants
from just about anywhere else were barred. Blacks were encouraged to marry whites
in order to filter more of Africa out of the country through intermarriage. People
of African descent were divided into separate classes based on varying skin color
in order prevent recognition as a majority.
It is generally accepted that slavery still continues to some degree in Brazil even
today. Many accounts exist of "indentured servants." Even the Brazilian government
has admited to the United Nations that something like 25,000 people still work and
live in "conditions analogous to slavery. " Statistics vary, as do living and working
conditions of these modern day slaves, but there is little doubt that these conditions
and a generally poor economic history has Brazil's long reliance on slavery to blame.
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