Petitions of Enslaved and Freed Persons in São Paulo and Rio das Mortes (1780-1807)

• Grant number: 25/08586-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Andrea Slemian
• Grantee: Fabiane Silva Peruzzo
• Supervisor: Roberta Giannubilo Stumpf
• Host Institution: Escola de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (EFLCH). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Guarulhos. Guarulhos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/05714-6 - Petitions from africans and afro-descendants in São Paulo and Rio Das Mortes (1780 - 1807), BP.MS

Abstract

This BEPE proposal is linked to the ongoing master's project entitled "Petitions from Africans and Afro-descendants in São Paulo and Rio das Mortes (1780-1807)" (case number 2024/05714-6). In this study, we analyze how Africans and Afro-descendants (enslaved, freed, and free individuals) found in petitions, representations, and requests from the districts of São Paulo (Captaincy of São Paulo) and Rio das Mortes (Captaincy of Minas Gerais) a means to present their demands. One of the objectives of this master's research is to problematize, based on the documentation, the uses and appropriations of racial characteristics, as well as their absence or erasure, in addition to examining the pathways and expectations of this population regarding the fulfillment of their demands. Beyond the documents already identified, it is essential to broaden the scope in order to gain a deeper understanding of the topic from an imperial perspective, a goal that will be pursued through the BEPE. Its purpose is to consult archives that allow us to comprehend the paths taken by petitions and requests in Lisbon, specifically in the Overseas Council, as well as to expand our knowledge of the interpretation of the issue of race, going beyond the normative statements.