UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Pathways to Freedom: Slavery and Emancipation in Nineteenth-Century Ouro Preto, Brazil A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Nilce Parreira Wicks 2017 © Copyright by Nilce Parreira Wicks 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Pathways to Freedom Slavery and Emancipation in Nineteenth-Century Ouro Preto, Brazil by Nilce Parreira Wicks Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2017 Professor William R. Summerhill, Chair This dissertation examines the diverse ways by which slaves in Ouro Preto, the capital of Minas Gerais province, Brazil, during the nineteenth century acquired freedom through manumission, which is the process of going from being a slave to being a free person within a society where slavery is legal, as opposed to obtaining freedom through abolition. Minas Gerais had a large slave and manumitted population, and manumission had been a common practice in the region since colonial times. This dissertation investigates the unique conditions behind this practice as well as the circumstances of its occurrence and the strategies slaves used to achieve freedom before general abolition. Slaves were manumitted in a variety of ways, such as in the last wills of their slave owners and via self-purchase, which the available data shows was in fact the most efficient way to obtain a letter of freedom. Manumitted individuals also appealed to the judiciary to be granted freedom and to fight against attempts of re-enslavement. ii This dissertation goes further to examine the exercise of agency by the diverse subjects involved in manumission, including the slaves, the slave owners, lawyers, judges, and local and provincial authorities. The life stories of the enslaved individuals are revealed by the primary sources, even though these are official and private documents often written by the slave owners and local authorities. The slaves’ stories reveal an ongoing, active pursuit of freedom, often after a lifetime of compulsory labor. iii The dissertation of Nilce Parreira Wicks is approved. John Randal Johnson Brenda Stevenson Kevin B. Terraciano William R. Summerhill, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2017 iv DEDICATION For my mother Ruth Rodrigues Parreira, You are my inspiration, the light that guides me, my pathway to freedom. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Slavery and Freedom 1 Chapter 2: Promises of Manumission 28 Chapter 3: Freedom Stories 83 Chapter 4: Manumission in Last Wills and Slave Inheritances 141 Chapter 5: Judicial Struggle for Freedom 184 Conclusion 219 Epilogue 229 Appendix 1 233 Appendix 2 235 Bibliography 244 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Emancipation Fund distributions 67 Table 2. Manumissions in Brazil, 1873–1887 68 Table 3. Manumissions in Minas Gerais, 1873–1887 71 Table 4. Manumissions by the fund in Ouro Preto, 1873–1887 (quotas, slave population, and manumission) 74 Table 5. Gender 75 Table 6. Skin color categories 75 Table 7. Age and gender distribution 76 Table 8. Occupation 77 Table 9. Marital status 79 Table 10. Average price of male slaves by age 80 Table 11. Average price of female slaves by age 80 Table 12. Slaves savings 81 Table 13. Conditions of manumission 132 Table 14. Age by gender 133 Table 15. Age identified by gender 133 vii Table 16. Occupation by gender 134 Table 17. Origin by gender 135 Table 18. Identified origin by gender 135 Table 19. African categories 136 Table 20. Marital status by gender 138 Table 21. Marital status identified by gender 138 Table 22. Coartação by year and gender 139 Table 23. Coartação by origin and gender 139 Table 24. Who paid for manumission? 140 Table 25. Marital status and gender of testators 178 Table 26. Distribution of brotherhoods and third orders by testator 179 Table 27. Inheritance received by slaves, Ouro Preto county, 1850–1887. 180 Table 28. Gender distribution of heirs in last wills that included manumission of slaves, Ouro Preto county, 1850–1887. 183 viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am eternally grateful to all the people who crossed my path, who supported and encouraged me, during this long academic journey. I initiated the PhD program thanks to a Lemann Foundation Fellowship, through the Center for Brazilian Studies of the UCLA International Institute. Without this first funding, it would not have been possible to initiate this journey. First and foremost, I acknowledge the slaves of Brazil, the individuals whose life stories and struggles I tried to honor and bring to light with this dissertation. I would like to recognize the dedication and constant encouragement, support, and mentorship of my advisor William Summerhill. I also thank my UCLA committee members, Kevin Terraciano, Brenda Stevenson, and Randal Johnson, for accepting this task and providing me with guidance and support as I completed my PhD. I am extremely grateful to UCLA for all the fellowships I was granted during my PhD program. The graduate division awarded me with the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship for 2012 and 2013, the Graduate Research Mentorship for 2012–2013, and the Dissertation Year Fellowship for 2016–2017. I was awarded the Chairs Discretionary Fund from the History Department for 2014, the Millennium Endowment in 2015, and the Tabor Foundation for the 2014–2015 academic year. Additionally, I had the opportunity to work as a teacher assistant for Kevin Terraciano, Robin Derby, and Leon Garcia Garagarza, and I am thankful for their mentorship. I express my deepest gratitude to these foundations, institutions, and professors for their generous support ix that made it possible to complete my PhD. I am also thankful for the support provided by my graduate advisors at UCLA: Eboni Shaw, Hadley Porter and Kamarin Takahara. In various phases of my work, I received suggestions, support, encouragement, and feedback from many professors, especially Catha Paquette, Jeffrey D. Needell, Herbert Klein José Luiz Passos, and Aisha Finch in the United States and Francisco Vidal Luna, Clotilde Paiva, Mário Rodarte, Júnia Furtado, and Douglas Libby in Brazil. I extend my gratitude to my research assistants Denise, Valquíria, Bruno, Fabiana, Gislaine, and Rosa as well as to the workers that made my research possible at the archives in Ouro Preto and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Thaís Lima Fonseca and Eduardo França Paiva have been my best friends for many years and fellow professors at University Newton Paiva in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Many thanks to both of you for years of long fruitful talks, suggestions, and encouragement and for making yourselves available every time I asked for help and advice. My fellow colleagues from the Brazilian History Seminar provided a supportive environment for the development of this dissertation. Special thanks for the feedback, suggestions, and encouragement I received from Michelle Kiso, Sabrina Smith, Cassia Roth, Suzan Rosenfeld, Daniel Franken, Clark Taylor, and Schuyler Whelden. I acknowledge the invaluable help of proofreaders and editors all along the way, from the initial drafts to the final text. It all started with drawing lessons, pleasant conversation, and kinds word of encouragement from my friend Patricia Rosemblad, who edited my first papers and the first drafts of this dissertation, and I am very thankful for that. Geneva Trelease and Brianne Sullivan also helped me in this first phase. Guy x Wicks has been my on-call editor and enthusiastic supporter since the beginning, and I cannot thank him enough. Cheryl Baltes’ professionalism, efficiency, and organization made it possible to finalize and assemble this project. Thank you for deciphering my writing. My heartfelt thanks to Marie Beech and Phil Lapuma, the healing people who helped me to stay focused, keep breathing, and relax in times of extreme stress. Also, I am grateful to have been blessed with good friends and good neighbors, and I am thankful for all you have done for my family and I during my years of graduate school. Brenda and Larry, your generosity and support has been unbelievable. I am grateful to Frank Cavajal and Melissa Gomes, Lars Rosemblad and Eileen Edwards, and Melody and Gennie Chang, for the carpools, dinners, prep talks, and most importantly, friendship. I have been surrounded by love and support from family and friends that kept in touch with me when I needed it most. Nancy, Denise, Carol, Marlene, Irene, Izaura, Daize, Fátima, Deanna, and my brother Ziza, I am blessed to have you in my live. My two companions in good and bad times, Arthur and Victor, thank you for your patience, understanding, and love. xi NILCE PARREIRA WICKS Curriculum Vitae UCLA Department of History 6265 Bunche Hall Box 951273 Los Angeles, CA 90095 nilcepwicks@ucla.edu EDUCATION Ph.D. Department of History, University of California, Los Angeles, 2017 (expected) Dissertation: Pathways to Freedom Fields: Colonial Latin America; Modern Latin America; Slavery and the Atlantic World; Brazilian History. M.A. Department of History, Federal University of Paraná State, Brazil, 1990. Thesis: Human Trade in Nineteenth Century Ouro Preto, Brazil (Comércio de Homens in Ouro Preto no Século XIX) B.A. History Department, College of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais State (UFMG), 1979. PUBLICATIONS Parreira, Nilce Rodrigues. “The Slave Population of Ouro Preto in the 19th Century- Based on Slave Selling & Buying Deeds.” Annals of the 6th National Conference of Population Studies. Olinda, PE, Oct. 16–20, 1988, vol. 3, pp. 443–451. FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS 2016–2017 Dissertation Year Fellowship (DYF), Graduate Division, UCLA 2014–2015 Tabor Foundation, History Department, UCLA. 2015 Millenium Endowment, History Department, UCLA. 2014 Chairs Discretionary Fund, History Department, UCLA. 2013 GSRM - Graduate Summer Mentorship, Graduate Division, UCLA. 2012–2013 GRM - Graduate Research Mentorship, Graduate Division, UCLA. 2012 GSRM - Graduate Summer Mentorship, Graduate Division, UCLA. 2012–2013 UCLA, International Institute, Center for Brazilian Studies, Lemann Foundation Fellowship, Brazil.
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