Chiaroscuro in Colonial Brazil

Abstract

At first sight the position of persons of African descent in the society of Portuguese America permitted little room for interpretation or ambiguity. In terms of civil status they were either slaves or freedmen. In the former case their status had been established by laws promulgated primarily for metropolitan Portugal but which were equally binding on the colonies of empire. To these could be added the so-called ‘extraordinary legislation’, comprising royal letters and edicts with force of law. In broad terms such laws discussed the responsibilities of slaves to owners, and vice-versa. In addition, there were generally accepted community standards of behaviour between slaves and masters. While there can be no doubt but that the letter of the law was all too frequently observed only in the breach, nevertheless the historian should be careful of accepting as constituting the norm horror stories of atrocities committed by masters against slaves. As for the persons of African descent, either by virtue of birth as free persons or by virtue of their cartas de alforria, they were in a position indistinguishable in the eyes of the law from other free persons in Brazil regardless of ethnic origin. Indeed, for this reason the crown made little or no attempt to promote legislation specifically directed toward the free coloured sector of the population.