BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY: SLAVERY IN BRAZIL PART TWO:

Brazil had the largest Slave population in the world, substantially larger than the United States. The Portuguese who settle in Brazil needed labor to work the large estates and mines in their new Brazilian colony.They turned to slavery which became central in their colony economy. It was particularly important in the mining and sugar cane sector. Slavery was the main stay in the Caribbean Islands with economies centered on sugar. Estimates has it that about 35 percent of captured African slaves  involved in the Atlantic Slave Trade were transported to Brazil with estimates suggesting that about 3.6 million Africans reached Brazil. Slavery started in in the 15th century as explorers began explorering the coast of Africa  coast.

With the discovery of the Americas the Portuguese  attempted to enslave the Native Americans population,this did not prove very successful as the native American died in large numbers both because of slave raiding, mistreatment and lark of resistance to European diseases. The Portuguese found African Slaves very strong and hard working so very valuable commodity as European began to settle in the Caribbean Islands. They also began transporting Africans to their Brazilian Colony. Brazilian of all classes from Upper Classes, middle classes and lower classes and even some slaves kept slaves. Slavery had a huge impact on Brazil.