The (; ), officially Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, is the law that abolished
slavery in Brazil. It was signed by
Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), an opponent of slavery, who acted as regent to Emperor
Pedro II, who was in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
The ''Lei Áurea'' was preceded by the
Rio Branco Law of 28 September 1871 ("the Law of Free Birth"), which freed all children born to slave parents, and by the
Saraiva-Cotegipe Law (also known as "the Law of Sexagenarians"), of 28 September 1885, that freed slaves when they reached the age of 60. Brazil was the last country in the
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
to abolish slavery.
Background
Aside from the activities of
abolitionists, there were a number of reasons for the signing of the law: slavery was no longer profitable, as the wages of
European immigrants, whose working conditions were poor, cost less than the upkeep of slaves, and the decline in the arrival of new slaves.
Text
The text of the was brief:
Analysis
The succinctness of the law was intended to make clear that there were no conditions of any kind to the freeing of all slaves. However, it did not provide any support to either freed slaves or their former owners to adjust their lives to their new status: slave owners did not receive any state indemnification, and slaves did not receive any kind of compensation from owners or assistance from the state.
Before the abolition of slavery, slaves were prohibited from owning assets or receiving an education; but after being freed, former slaves were left to make their own way in the world. Without education or political representation, former slaves struggled to gain economic and social status in Brazilian society.
The was authored by
Rodrigo A. da Silva, then Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet headed by prime minister
João Alfredo Correia de Oliveira, and member of the Chamber of Deputies. After passing both houses of the
General Assembly, it was sanctioned by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), who was regent at the time, while her father, emperor Pedro II, was in Europe.
The Golden Law was signed by the princess imperial and countersigned by Rodrigo A. da Silva, in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture. Princess Isabel, who was a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, was awarded the
Golden Rose by
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...
and minister Rodrigo A. da Silva received honors from the Vatican, France and Portugal. In August 1888 Rodrigo A. da Silva went on to be chosen for a lifetime seat in the Senate of the Empire.
The had other consequences besides the freeing of all slaves; without slaves and lacking workers, the plantation owners had to recruit workers elsewhere and thus organized, in the 1890s, the ("Society for the Promotion of Immigration"). Another effect was an uproar among Brazilian slave owners and upper classes, resulting in the toppling of the
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
and the
establishment of a republic in 1889 – the is often regarded as the most immediate (but not the only) cause of the fall of monarchy in Brazil.
See also
*
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment (Amendment XIII) to the United States Constitution abolished Slavery in the United States, slavery and involuntary servitude, except Penal labor in the United States, as punishment for a crime. The amendment was passed ...
*
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Proclamation had the eff ...
*
Post-abolition in Brazil
Post-abolition is the period of History of Brazil, Brazilian history immediately following the Abolitionism in Brazil, abolition of slavery in 1888. Defined as a major break in the system practiced until then, the period triggered significant cha ...
References
External links
Slavery in Brazil, UNESCO Memory of the World programme
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lei Aurea
Legal history of Brazil
Slavery in Brazil
1888 in law
1888 in Brazil
Abolitionism in Brazil
May 1888
1888 in politics
Slavery legislation
Brazilian legislation
19th century in slavery