Racial Perceptions in the Era of Brazilian Abolitionism, 1870–88

In the era of slavery in Brazil, all captives were of African descent; however, probably so were most of the free population. The relationship between slavery and race in Brazil is complicated. Here, I will discuss those most directly involved in the debate. Abolitionist legislation in Brazil was passed by members of Parliament and pressed by Abolitionist activists. While much has been published about the racial perceptions of intellectuals then and afterward, surprisingly little has been written about those who promoted abolition in the Chamber or in the street. Robert Toplin (1971), Rebecca Bergstresser (1973), and C.M. Marinho de Azevedo (1987), pioneered such work; it is time to synthesize and sharpen it with new research

I intend to highlight the absence of race in the Law of the Free Womb debate (1871) and then examine the arguments of the two most distinguished spokesmen for the Abolitionist movement (1879-1888), Joaquim Nabuco and José do Patrocínio. Race was largely absent or obliquely referenced in 1871, only to be increasingly significant in the Abolitionist movement of the 1880s. My research thus far suggests that race was downplayed earlier because of its inherent explosiveness and the gradualist character of the legislation, which did not free the living and deferred the freedom of the unborn for nearly two decades. In the later movement, which called for immediate or nearly immediate freedom, race became increasingly significant because of the desire to mobilize support on the street and to engage the question of the role of the newly freed in Brazilian society and its representative government. Because of this significance, it will be possible and necessary to conclude with an analysis of the Abolitionists’ perception of race, racial difference, and race relations in the political structure they had and the one that they envisioned

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