2.16 Diasporic Connections: Slavery and Freedom in Brazil

Brazil received the largest number of enslaved Africans in the Americas, with about 5 million people arriving on its shores. This massive influx led to the preservation of African cultural practices, like capoeira and congada, which still exist in Brazil today.

Throughout the 19th century, Brazil's enslaved population decreased while its free Black population grew. This contrasted with the US, where the enslaved population continued to rise. These different trajectories highlight how slavery evolved in various parts of the Americas.

Enslavement in Brazil

Scale of African enslavement

• Brazil received the largest number of enslaved Africans in the Americas, with approximately 5 million people (half of the 10 million Africans who survived the Middle Passage) disembarking on Brazilian shores
• Enslaved Africans in Brazil were forced to labor in various enterprises that changed over time
  • Sugar plantations
  • Gold mines
  • Coffee plantations
  • Cattle ranching
  • Production of food and textiles for domestic consumption

Preservation of African culture

• The large influx of African-born people in Brazil led to the formation of communities that maintained and preserved cultural practices from their homelands
• Some of these African cultural practices still exist in Brazil today
  • Capoeira (martial art developed by enslaved Africans combining music and call and response singing)
  • Congada (celebration honoring the king of Kongo and Our Lady of the Rosary)
• The preservation of African culture in Brazil can be attributed to the sheer number of enslaved Africans who arrived, allowing them to maintain their traditions and pass them down through generations

Shifts in enslaved populations

Brazil's decreasing enslaved population

• Throughout the 19th century, the number of enslaved Africans in Brazil gradually declined while the free Black population grew substantially
• This shift was primarily due to the increased frequency of manumission (release from slavery) in Brazil
  • Influenced by Iberian laws and the Catholic Church, which encouraged the freeing of enslaved individuals
• By the time Brazil became the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888, around 4 million people of African ancestry were already free
• The abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888 freed the remaining 1.5 million Africans who were still enslaved at that time

US's increasing enslaved population

• In contrast to Brazil, the number of enslaved Africans in the United States continued to rise throughout the 19th century, despite the 1808 ban on importing enslaved Africans
• This increase was primarily due to the children of enslaved people being born into enslavement themselves, perpetuating the institution
• By the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the freedom of enslaved people in the Confederate states during the American Civil War, approximately 4 million Africans remained enslaved in the United States
  • This accounted for about 50 percent of all enslaved people in the Americas at that time
• The different trajectories of enslaved populations in Brazil and the United States highlight the varying ways in which slavery evolved and was maintained in different parts of the Americas

Required Sources

Festival of Our Lady of the Rosary, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Carlos Julião, Circa 1770s

This 18th century artwork provides a rare visual depiction of Afro-Brazilian religious and cultural practices during the colonial period. It offers valuable insights into how enslaved Africans and their descendants maintained and adapted their traditions in the New World, blending African spirituality with Catholic elements.

The piece illuminates the complex racial and social dynamics of colonial Brazil, showcasing the interactions between different ethnic groups. It serves as a crucial historical record, demonstrating the resilience and creativity of African diaspora communities in preserving their heritage while navigating the oppressive conditions of slavery.

Escravo Mina and Escrava Mina by José Christiano de Freitas Henriques Junior, 1864

These photographs provide a rare glimpse into the lives of enslaved Africans in 19th century Brazil, specifically those from the Mina Coast region. It captures the physical appearance, dress, and demeanor of an individual subjected to the brutal institution of slavery, offering valuable visual evidence for researchers and students of African diaspora history.

The images serve as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the transatlantic slave trade and its lasting impact on Brazilian society. It challenges viewers to confront the realities of slavery and consider its legacy in shaping racial dynamics, cultural practices, and socioeconomic structures in Brazil and throughout the Americas.

Capoeira Players and Musicians on Beach in Salvador da Bahia

Capoeira represents a unique fusion of African cultural traditions that survived and evolved in Brazil despite the brutality of slavery. This Afro-Brazilian martial art disguised as dance embodies resistance, preserving elements of West African fighting techniques, music, and spirituality under the guise of harmless entertainment.

The practice of capoeira in Salvador da Bahia, a center of Afro-Brazilian culture, demonstrates the resilience and creativity of the African diaspora. Its continued performance on the beaches where enslaved Africans once arrived symbolizes cultural reclamation and the enduring legacy of African contributions to Brazilian society and identity.