The (; ), officially Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, is the law that abolished slavery in Brazil. It was signed by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), an opponent of slavery, who acted as regent to Emperor Pedro II, who was in Europe. Of the 10 million African slaves which were forcibly brought to the New World, 40 percent were brought to Brazil This increase in the slave population was, in part, a result of increased production of coffee in the northeastern regions of Brazil. The continued import of African slaves into Brazil was made entirely illegal following the British-Brazilian Treaty of 1826. This resulted in a spike in the price of African slaves, and an increase in the slave ships travelling to Brazil.

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The text of the was brief:

Analysis

The succinctness of the law was intended to make clear that there were no conditions of any kind to the freeing of all slaves. However, it did not provide any support to either freed slaves or their former owners to adjust their lives to their new status: slave owners did not receive any state indemnification, and slaves did not receive any kind of compensation from owners or assistance from the state.

Before the abolition of slavery, slaves were prohibited from owning assets or receiving an education; but after being freed, former slaves were left to make their own way in the world. Without education or political representation, former slaves struggled to gain economic and social status in Brazilian society.

The was authored by Minister of Agriculture Rodrigo A. da Silva in the cabinet headed by President of the Council of Ministers João Alfredo Correia de Oliveira, and member of the Chamber of Deputies. After passing both houses of the General Assembly, it was sanctioned by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), who was regent at the time, while her father, Emperor Pedro II, was in Europe.

The Golden Law was signed by the princess imperial and countersigned by Rodrigo A. da Silva, in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture. Princess Isabel, who was a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, was awarded the Golden Rose by Pope Leo XIII and minister Rodrigo A. da Silva received honors from the Vatican, France and Portugal. In August 1888 Rodrigo A. da Silva went on to be chosen for a lifetime seat in the Senate of the Empire.

The had other consequences besides the freeing of Brazilian slaves. Without slave labor, plantation owners had to source workers elsewhere and thus organized. Another effect was an uproar among Brazilian slave owners and upper classes, resulting in the toppling of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic in 1889 – the is often regarded as the most immediate (but not the only) cause of the fall of monarchy in Brazil.

See also

  • Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
  • Emancipation Proclamation
  • Post-abolition in Brazil

References

  • Slavery in Brazil, UNESCO Memory of the World programme