Leis, mortes e fugas: o processo de abolição da escravidão e a entrada dos imigrantes no Piauí (1872 – 1887)

Abstract

the objective of this dissertation is to defend the idea the there were several contributing factors in the process of decrease of the slave population in Piaui' province. I addition, I propose that the entry in Piaui' of immigrants trying to evade the drought contributed to the process of transition of the slave labor into the labor provided by free persons. Among the factors that contributed to the decrease of the slave population, I point out: the Law of the Free Womb and the Law of the Sexagenarians. When analyzing these two laws I focused mainly on the creation of the Fundo Emancipador (Freedom Fund), on the criteria used to free slaves using that fund, and how this mechanism functioned. The process of decrease of the slave population also included: deaths and escapes. The spatial framework for the research is the province of Piaui', where until today there is a lack of scientific verification about the process of decrease of slaves and freedom of slaves. The chronological framework encompasses the period between 1872 to 1887. Such framework is justified because it was in this period of the nineteenth century that the struggle against slavery intensified in Piaui'. With the selection of this period of time, some questions became pertinent and gave impetus to the research: Was the decrease of slaves in Piaui' inserted in the same process on a national context? In this process of decrease, were the slaves aware of what was happening? Was there a sui generis characteristic in the process of aboliton of slavery in Piaui'? The theoretical basis for the text was established in the arguments by the British historian E. P. Thompson, who proposes a dialogue among the different agents reacting to actions existing in the environment.