White Slaves in 19th Century Brazil:

Domestic Trade, Racial Distinctions and “Being White” During Slavery

Abstract

The reflections presented here are part of an ongoing broader research on the
concept of whiteness in Brazil during the time of slavery. The article seeks to analyze the meanings and practices involved in the emergence of captives described as white sold in Brazil after the end of the Atlantic slave trade in 1850, attracting the attention of the press. Such cases lend themselves to research on the complex links between color, enslavement, and freedom. More broadly, the paper analyzes the racial aspects that defined the boundary between the enslaved and free population, placing the concept of whiteness at the center of racial analysis, an unusual approach among Brazilian historians.