To what extent did British influence and domestic pressurehave an effect on Brazil’s decision to...

7/28/2019 To what extent did British influence and domestic pressurehave an effect on Brazils decision to abolish slavery in

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To what extent did British influence and domestic pressure

have an effect on Brazils decision to abolish slavery in

1888?

Burhan Riaz

March 20, 2008

Total Word Count: 1647


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A. Plan of Investigation

The purpose of this document is to assess the particular causes of British and

domestic influence over Brazils decision to finally outlaw slavery peacefully on May 13,

1888 and to explain the significance of those causes. The investigation reveals how

economical competition and outsourcing affected Britain and how it relates between their

financial troubles and Brazils abolishment of slavery. Domestic pressure, such as

religious factions and runaway slave groups, will also be assessed. Informative art will

play an important factor as well. Three sources that will be examined include a recorded

sermon of the Jesuit, Antonio Vieira, a letter sent to the Portuguese king by the

Archbishop, Francisco Paul de Garca Pelez, and the artwork of the famous Jean-

Baptiste Debret, and various supportive resources.

Word Count: 124

B. Summary of Evidence

Slavery was a vital part of Colonial Brazils economical boom in the 18 th and 19th

century. Slaves were used mainly in mining and sugar cane production (Page, Eimer,

2001). More than 3 million African slaves were brought from abroad, which accounts for

roughly 37% of slaves traded and establishes Brazil as the most slave populated country

at the time (Geary, Dick. 1999). Brazil became the last South American country to end

slavery. Africans were a necessity especially after the native Tupi Indian populations that

were used as slaves started to decrease due to foreign disease and extreme working


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conditions (Malheiro, Agostinho. 1752). An anonymous French traveler once described

the unpopulated native Brazilian lands as hundreds of miles of river banks with no sign

of human life and once-thriving villages that were devastated and empty(Riding, Alan

1988).

Slaves were owned by upper and middle classes, by the poor, and even by other

slaves (Rebellions in Bahia. 2001). However, many non-slave owners were unhappy that

slaves took the majority of work from them. Many complaints were conveyed towards

the King and the government from these people. Peaceful Activists against slavery

included Jesuits who publicly would outcry slavery as blasphemous and unjust. A Jesuit

preacher by the name of Antonio Vieira criticized slave owners by scolding them for their

greed, their un-Christian behavior, and sometimes hinted they would spend an eternity in

hell (Reville, John. 1912). He once described the brutality of a slave owner by stating that

each slave received three hundred lashes, fifty at a time, applied with the usual

instrument of five strips of raw leather; and, the punishment having been completed... no

doctor attended the application of the punishment, but on the second day a doctor was

called declaring that on June 26 the execution of the punishment might continue

(Vieira, Antonio. Est. 1638-1640)

Another determining factor to ending slavery were the mass amounts of Maroons

or runaway slaves that lived in Brazil (Jose, Joao. 2002). An Archbishop named

Francisco Paul wrote a letter to the Portuguese king whom at the time was still in charge

of the colonized Brazil. In it, he described the Maroons as people that had their own

villages where they survived by the practice farming and hunting. They have at times

raided plantations. At these attacks, they burned crops, stole livestock and tools, killed


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slave masters, and invited other slaves to join their communities. He also mentioned

slave owners live in uneasiness, because they cannot safeguard their slaves (Paul,

Francisco.1662).

The French painter Jean-Baptiste Debret hastened the end of slavery in Brazil by

his artwork depicting the brutality of slave owners and alerting the world. He came to

Brazil with a missionary group expecting to paint the royal family of Brazil but he

focused on showing the world the horrors of slavery through his work. Two of some of

his most famous artwork include Slavery in Brazil(Appendix A) andA Guaran Family

Captured by Indian Slave Hunters (Appendix B). The paintings consist of an African

man being punished by a slave owner and an Indian family being captured to most likely

be traded as slaves.

Brazil was too successful for its own good. Its mass amount of slave labor drove

their sugar prices down. This in turn, competed directly with Britains sugar cane

industry in the West Indies. Britain had already outlawed slavery and this was the

primary cause they could not compete with Brazil. The British people consumed 16

pounds of sugar a year per person and they started to buy cheap imported sugar from

Brazil instead of their own colony (Dine, Robert Van.1999).

Word Count: 594

C. Evaluation of Sources

Antonio Vieira was a writer, diplomat, and adviser to the court of Portugal. He

preached to the black brotherhood of the Rosary and he himself was from African

descent. He spent his life preaching against African and Indian enslavement from 1608 to


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1697, when Brazil was colonized by Portugal. He lived throughout his life in Brazil but

corresponded many times with Portugal. The function of Vieras sermons was to alter the

mindset of the Brazilian people to realize the harsh nature of forced labor. The

importance of his speeches is that he openly volunteered to go against the way of

thinking in order to free slaves, which eventually occurred because of Jesuit preachers

such as Vieira. It should be noted that although he wanted to free slaves, he did not

consider them to be equal to white master or even to himself and would sometimes state

conflicting racial comments about Africans and Indians. Vieiras speeches were written

on paper after his speeches were over by a listener and this may cause a variation in what

Vieira actually said.

Painter Jean-Baptiste Debret came to Brazil to draw for the royal family of Brazil

in 1816 but instead joined the French Artistic Mission. He learned about Brazilian life

until 1831, when he returned to France. The intention of his artwork was to educate

Europeans that did know the type of cruelty that was taking place in Brazil. His artwork

is meaningful because it created a reason for the world to diplomatically ask Brazil to end

slavery. Since his contributions are in art form, his perception in the paintings may have

been exaggerated in order to prove the point that slavery was wrong. He also painted

most of his work years after his stay in Brazil and this may lead to further embellishment.

Word Count: 300

D. Analysis


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The reason that Britain played a role in abolishing slavery was due to the fact they

were losing business in the sugar trade. Since they had already abolished slavery, it was

impossible for them to compete with Brazil, which completely ran its agricultural

business through the use of slaves. Since they were the largest slave owning state and had

large amounts of arable land, they could produce a high yield of exports while keeping

their slaves in meager conditions. They sent diplomats to Brazil giving reasons they

should end slavery. This is typical behavior of a powerful country such as Britain. The

end of slavery in Brazil would greatly benefit Britain financially. The anonymous French

traveler that described the native lands as barren can only indicate the amount of Indians

that were taken into slavery. It is understandable why Brazil started to enslave Africans

since there were not enough Indians to match their quotas. The empty lands also indicate

that the population of native Indians was decreasing due to disease from overseas.

Jesuits greatly helped abolish slavery because they spread their thoughts

peacefully by preaching to Brazilian slave owners and enlightened them that their actions

were against Christian principles. From these speeches, the general public changed its

attitude and wanted to become like other powerful states such as Britain and wanted to

end forced labor. It can be assumed that the Jesuits did in fact have influence over

Brazilians because white slave masters would attend sermons lead by black preachers

such as Antonio Vieira who preached against the use of slaves.

Maroons were a nuisance and a risk to the Brazilian government because of the

raids they would sometimes commit and the fact that they were an organized group of

fugitives that might want to wage a war. This fact alone was a well enough reason for

Brazil to abolish slavery in order to dispel the revengeful Maroons. Letters from authority


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figures such as Archbishop Francisco Paul to the king of Spain were important because

the threat of Maroons were acknowledged. If ignored, a battle would be imminent

between the fugitives and the Portuguese/Brazilian military.

French painter Jean-Baptiste Debret was necessary to the freedom for slaves. He

single handedly imprinted an image in the minds of people all across the globes about the

last South American slave owning country and its pitiless way of treating enslaved

Africans and Indians. His painting, Slavery in Brazil, is a perfect example of what he

wanted to stop; unjust punishment. The painting depicts an African bound in an

uncomfortable position and being whipped by his white master. Such depiction creates

pity in ones mind and will embarrass Brazil in front of the world. Also, the painting,A

Guaran Family Captured by Indian Slave Hunters, will have the same effect as his other

painting. This artwork portrays an Indian family being captured and most likely being

headed to a plantation. This painting in particular, will shock European minds because

the Indians are naked and are going to be forced to work.

Word Count: 507

E. Conclusion

Domestic influence including religious impact from Jesuits and pressure from

fugitives called Maroons and persuasion by foreign countries such as Britain leads Brazil

into finally ending three hundred years of unwarranted slavery peacefully. The Jesuits

cried blasphemy at slavery and the religious Brazilians followed suit. Britain, which

wanted to gain back its part in the sugar market, also decided to help persuade Brazil to


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end slavery. In credit to the Jesuits to changing the mindsets of people and Jean-Baptiste

Debrets revealing paintings, the struggle for freedom is resolved without civil war or

bloodshed in Brazil in 1888. In conclusion, Brazil is proof of a country that can outlaw

slavery without fighting any wars or spilling any more blood than in the past.

Word Count: 122


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F. Bibliography

-Debret, Jean Babtiste A Guaran Family Captured by Indian Slave Hunters, Painting

http://www.postershop.com/Debret-Jean-Baptiste-p.html

1829

-Debret, Jean Babtiste Slavery in Brazil, Painting

http://www.postershop.com/Debret-Jean-Baptiste-p.html

1834

-Dine, Robert Van Brazil http://vandine.com/brazil.htm. November 09, 1999

-Geary, Dick Slavery in Brazil,

http://research.nottingham.ac.uk/ResearchFocus/display.aspx?Id=846&pid=163

1999

-Jose, Joao Brazilian Maroons During Slavery Cultural Srurvival

http://www.cs.org/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=1397, January 31, 2002

-Malheiro, Agostinho Cruel Punishments Inflicted Upon Indians

http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/documents/slavery/indianslavery.htm

1752


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-Page, Eimer, Slavery and the Carribean.

http://isc.temple.edu/evanson/brazilhistory/Bahia.htm, December 14, 2001

-Paul, Francisco Letter to king of Portugal,

http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/documents/slavery/maroons.htm

September 15, 1662

-Rebellions in Bahia, 1798-1838. http://isc.temple.edu/evanson/brazilhistory/Bahia.htm,

December 14, 2001

-Reville, John Antonio Vieira Catholic Encyclopedia.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15415d.htm, 1912

-Riding, Alan War, Disease, Slavery, and Poisoned Wells The New York Times.

January 19, 1988

-Vieira, Antonio Children of Gods Fire Sermon to the Black Brotherhood of Rosary

http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/documents/slavery/mistreatment.htm

Est. 1638-1640


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G. Appendix

A.

Slavery in Brazil, Jean-Baptiste Debret (1834)B.

A Guaran Family Captured by Indian Slave Hunters, Jean-Baptiste Debret (1829)

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