BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY: BLACK SLAVERY IN BRAZIL PART ONE :

One of the major issues in Brazil history revolved around the question of Slavery, which began during the colonial period probably in 1532 and lasted untill 1888. The slaves came from different African regions, mostly the Yoruba nations todays Nigeria and Benin, many others from Angola. Slaves represented a variety of different cultures and society, most were followers of traditional African religions, but some were Muslims.   Regardless of their back ground, slaves cross the Atlantic under very harsh conditions.  They were held in brutally crowded conditions and many died during the trip.

Slaves who survived most often arrived in Brazil through the port of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Sao Luis, and wre sold throughout the country. At first they worked in the sugar fields in the North East, later in the gold and diamond mines and coffee plantations in the East and South East. It is estimated that from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, a total of 3.6 million African  Slaves were brought to Brazil.  By the seventeenth century, it was said that the Slave population in Brazil was were numerous than the free population.