Urban slavery in Salvador In 1857,
Salvador, the capital city of the
Brazilian province of
Bahia and a major port in the
Atlantic slave trade, had a population of over 50,000.
White Brazilians made up about 30 percent of the population, while
black people constituted about 40 percent of the population. Altogether,
Afro-Brazilians, which included slaves,
freedmen, and
mixed-race people of African descent, made up a majority of the city's population. Slaves made up between 30 and 40 percent of the population, with a majority of them having been born in
Africa. Many were
Nagos, or members of the
Yoruba people from the area around the
Bight of Benin. The system of urban slavery in Salvador differed in some ways from
plantation slavery. Many of the slaves in Salvador were allowed a comparatively high
freedom of movement and engaged in various forms of manual street labor, in trades such as
bricklaying or
carpentry. It was not uncommon for masters to let their slaves rent residences away from their homes and return only once per week to give their masters a part of the money that they had earned through their labor, with the slaves allowed to keep the remainder. In many cases, these slaves worked alongside freedmen, and some slaves were able to save enough money to eventually purchase their
manumission.
Ganhadores Many black people in Salvador worked as laborers known as ('earners'). These worked as
porters, transporting goods, cargo, and people throughout the city. Transportation in the city was largely dependent on these , as other forms of transportation were either unavailable or economically unfeasible for most merchants. At the time, it was a profession held entirely by black people, with no white people or
pardo Brazilians (people of mixed race or ethnicity) working in that field. During an 1847 visit to Salvador,
Alexandre, Baron Forth-Rouen des Mallets of
France, wrote that black people constituted "the majority of the Bahia's population" and were "the only ones to be seen in the streets, like beasts employed to carry all kinds of burdens, and which circulate laden with heavy loads". A similar observation was made by German explorer
Robert Christian Avé-Lallemant during an 1858 stay in Salvador, where he said, "Everything that runs, shouts, works, everything that transports and carries is black". About 30 percent of the Nagos slaves in Salvador worked exclusively as , and a majority worked either full-time or part-time as such. The of Salvador organized themselves into work groups known as , with each covering a particular area of the city. These also functioned as important public spaces for Africans in Salvador, as they served as gathering places where people could interact, buy and sell goods, and engage in religious practices. Each was led by an individual known as the ('captain of the canto'), who was selected from among the of the and could be either freedmen or slaves.
Malê revolt and its aftermath ,
Salvador, and
São Paulo. Between 1807 and 1835, slaves in Bahia staged over 20
slave rebellions that scared many slave owners in the region. In 1835, a group of
Muslim slaves and freedmen in Salvador, a majority of whom were Yoruba, revolted in what historian João José Reis called "the most dramatic urban slave rebellion in Brazilian history". The uprising was ultimately suppressed, and in the aftermath, about half of the prisoners who were indicted for involvement were . Additionally, 17 percent of the individuals were artisans who probably worked in the and had acted as the main conspirators in the uprising. In June of that year, in response to the uprising, the Provincial Legislature enacted Law 14, which replaced the with . Under this system, the would be overseen by a ('foreman') who would receive a salary directly from the he oversaw and, according to the law, would "police the ". Additionally, would be required to register themselves with the government and wear metal bracelets with identification tags. The were required to register monthly and would face a fee of 10,000
réis for failure to do so. A system of inspectors was established to oversee their registrations, police the areas to which they were assigned, and to serve as the ' superiors. The law, which took effect in April 1836, was unpopular among the and the wider public. An article published in the
Diário da Bahia in May 1836 criticized the and the identification tags, arguing that they would lead to increased prices and would hinder the movement of the around the city. Additionally, the newspaper felt that the province should not become involved in laws regarding , which they felt was a matter best left to the city government. Authorities had difficulties in enforcing the law, as many refused to register, gave false information, refused to pay fines, and relocated to parts of the city where the law was not strongly enforced. Businesspeople and merchants in some areas complained about the effect that the law had on their businesses, with the number of active in these areas dropping considerably. Ultimately, by 1837, authorities gave in, were restored, and the law went unenforced.
1857 city ordinance Despite the failure of Law 14, Brazilian authorities continued to try to exert control over the over the decades that followed. Around March 1857, the city government of Salvador promulgated an ordinance that stated that would have to register for a permit with the
city council in order to continue to work in that profession. The total cost of registration was 5,000 réis, roughly the price of of meat, with 3,000 réis going towards a metal plaque with the slave's registration number engraved on it. This plaque was to be worn around their necks at all times while working. A similar policy had existed since the early 1840s regarding the in
Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the
Brazilian Empire. Additionally, who were freedmen needed to present
guarantors who would take responsibility for their behavior. A similar city ordinance that was already in place at the time applied to , black women who worked in the streets as
grocery vendors, who had to pay an annual fee of 20,000 réis. The ordinance would
come into effect on 1 June. == Course of the strike ==