According to the Brazilian census of 1872, approximately 26 percent of Brazil's non-white population was living in slavery, while 74 percent of the non-white population were legally free. Rio de Janeiro was the only region where there were more non-white people living in slavery than living in freedom.
Generally speaking, the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil had a smaller share of their non-white populations living in slavery than the southern and eastern regions at this time; this was likely due to the concentration of slave trading activities further from the equator in the second half of the 19th century. The reason for this was the British Navy's anti-slave-trade patrols in the Atlantic between 1808 and 1867, following the British abolition of the slave trade in 1807; this saw Portuguese and Brazilian slave traders take southern routes to the Americas to avoid interception, ultimately resulting in increased traffic to Brazil's southeasterly ports.
Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872
The term "colored" was used by the source, but has been changed to "non-white" to reflect modern attitudes. This data does not appear to include indigenous people, or those of mixed white and indigenous descent ("caboclo").
Figures have been calculated using the total populations given in the source, as a number of the percentages given by the source included errors.
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Stanford University. (December 18, 2020). Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/
Stanford University. "Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872." Chart. December 18, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/
Stanford University. (2020). Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/
Stanford University. "Share of Brazil's Non-white Population Living in Slavery by Region in 1872." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Dec 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/
Stanford University, Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/ (last visited December 03, 2024)
Share of Brazil's non-white population living in slavery by region in 1872 [Graph], Stanford University, December 18, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1194417/population-brazil-share-slave-status-non-whites-1872/