(strange world/strange world)
Reader question – João Pedro Frederico, Fortaleza, CE
It was Mauritania, in northwest Africa, between Western Sahara and Senegal. The abolition officially took place on November 9, 1981, and only became a crime in 2007. Formed by Moors and black Muslims, the country enslaved Africans captured by Arabs during wars. Even after the law was passed, unfortunately, slavery continued to exist in the country. It is estimated that 20% of the population of 3.2 million people live under this regime. On the other hand, the first country to banish slavery was Portugal, in 1761. However, the Marquis of Pombal directed the decree only to mainland Portugal and its colonies in India. In Brazil, it remained until 1888, including many years after Independence, in 1822.
What is slavery?
The definition of the term may vary
The UN considers any human trafficking to be slavery. In Brazil, according to Article 149 of the Penal Code, there are some situations that configure slavery. They are: forced labor, exhausting working hours, degrading conditions and restriction of movement due to debt contracted with the employer.
flashlights
See some of the countries that took the longest to abolish
Cuba – 1886
Brazil – 1888
Zanzibar – 1897
Ethiopia – 1942
Saudi Arabia – 1962
Mauritania – 2007
Sources: Website onu.org.br; penal code
Consultancy: Lúcia Helena Oliveira Silva, professor at the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Unesp
See too:
+ What was a slave quarters like?
+ What is the “cashangá” that Job’s slaves played?
+ How did capoeira come about?