Abstract:
This paper examines the circumstances under which slavery was discussed in Portugal, upon Dom João VI’s return on April 26, 1821. By drawing on the trajectory of the enslaved Marianna, Mina, owned by Jacinto de Araujo, Dom João VI’s servant, who returned with the monarch to Portugal, I seek to understand the paths taken by captives who landed there with their masters. From Marianna’s experience I ponder why the king granted permission to masters returned from Brazil to remain with their enslaved in Portugal in contempt of the Decrees of September 19, 1761 and March 10, 1800. Furthermore, I reflect upon what the royal authorities understood about slavery and freedom in a kingdom that had just become a constitutional monarchy with an anti-slavery legislation dating back to the late 1760s.
Keywords:
Slavery; Freedom; Lisbon