Plea for freedom: lawsuits against injusto cativeiro (unfair captivity) of black families in Mariana (second half of the 19th century)

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century, many emancipation was achieved after long freedom lawsuits. Usual practice throughout the period of slavery, these judicial battles increased in the late 19th century, mainly after 1871, when the legislation began to interfere in the master / slave relations and captives could officially accumulate wealth or be freed by the Emancipation Fund. Examining freedom lawsuits in the second half of the 19th century in Mariana, Minas Gerais, we found many slaves resorting to legal means in order to achieve freedom. However, in many situations, the authors of the actions, through their legal representatives, were described as freed or free, in other words, although were not legally captives, they lived under slavery. Through legal actions, our article intends to show the struggle for freedom of black families who lived in injusto cativeiro.