Slave labor in colonial and imperial Brazil: thematic review of descriptive studies

Abstract

The Brazilian economy was until the end of the 19th century based on slave labor, in particular on the agricultural component. This work aims to obtain, through a review of historical, descriptive studies, a detailed view of the slaves working conditions. The following databases searched were: Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Criminal Justice, Ebsco Business Source Complete, with time cut started in 2014, as well as original historical documents. Descriptive studies were selected, without language restriction, involving the rural working conditions of slaves in colonial and imperial Brazil. The general working conditions were evaluated: the age at which children and adolescents started work; daily and weekly working time; description of activities performed by adult slaves. The studies and texts analyzed indicated the existence of similar working conditions among slaves in the most diverse regions of Brazil, even on farms with distinct agricultural.