Part 2 – ‘Brasil Colonial’

Slavery in Brazil was started around 1530 by the Portuguese bringing people from Africa in order to work mainly on sugar plantations. This work had been done until then by the native Indians (Os Donos da Terra) who had always inhabited the place. During the 16th and 17th centuries the slave labour was transferred from the indigenous populations to the Africans. Slavery was finally abolished by the Lei Aurea signed by Princess Isabela on the 13 th May, 1888. During this period more than 4,000,000 people were brought over as slaves.

The various nationalities which came to Brazil over the centuries for different reasons contributed to the country and its culture in their own ways. The typical architecture throughout the country was strongly influenced by the Portuguese, with their colourful ceramic tiles and wrought-iron gates and fencings. The character and lifestyle of the nation owe much to the mixture of the three groups, Indians, Europeans and Africans, with their rich musical culture, their religious rituals, their art and their gastronomy. The Europeans, the Japonese and the middle-eastern races also played an important part in creating the national character due to their large numbers of immigrants. The gradual mixing of these races naturally served to create a strong and resilient composite race to inhabit their magnificent land,