Huntley & Habersham Co.

Today marks the 131st anniversary of the passing of Brazil’s Lei Aurea or Golden Law. The law was signed by Princess Isabel of Brazil on May 13th, 1888 and consisted of two very succinct articles:

Article 1: From this date, slavery is declared abolished in Brazil.

Article 2: All dispositions to the contrary are revoked.

Work was suspended for three days after the passing of the bill allowing citizens nationwide to celebrate. It could be rightfully assumed that despite this major advancement in moral rectitude, such a decision would be met with opposition by the ruling classes (the rich). They, of course, had benefitted the most from the exploitation of free labor.

Much like the newly freed slaves after the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment in the United States, former slaves in Brazil found themselves in need of resources but lacked the education and network to acquire them. Many of them became sharecroppers on the same land they worked like slaves (sound familiar?)

“Brazil: Five Centuries of Change.” Brazil Five Centuries of Change, library.brown.edu/create/fivecenturiesofchange/chapters/chapter-4/abolition/.