A Social History of Black Slaves and Freedmen in Portugal, 1441–1555

This book is a detailed study of black slavery in Portugal during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

A. Saunders (Author)

9780521130035, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 11 February 2010

308 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.46 kg

This book, originally published in 1982, was the first detailed study of black slavery in Portugal during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the Portuguese brought Europe into contact with black Africa and originated the Atlantic slave-trade. Portugal was the first European society to have a considerable black population, and the relations established between the white and black populations set a pattern that had effects throughout the Atlantic world. Through extensive analysis, this book sheds light on Portuguese slave laws, geographical distribution and the occupations of slaves with Portugal, the importance of slaves in urban and domestic workforce, and Portuguese racial prejudice, and places the racial relations within the wider contexts of slavery and race relations in the Mediterranean and the Americas. Students interested in slavery and race relations as well to students of European, Latin American and African history will find this useful.

List of plates
List of maps
List of tables
Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1. The slave-trade
2. Legal and philosophical justifications of the slave-trade
3. The demography of blacks in Portugal
4. The occupations of slaves
5. The life of the slave
6. Slaves and the law
7. Fugitives, freedom and freedmen
8. Blacks and Christianity
9. Race relations
Conclusions
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]