HumiliationLocated on one of the easternmost parts of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro was situated perfectly to uptake a large role in receiving and auctioning off millions of slaves during the 16th,17th and 18th centuries. Rio de Janeiro was a booming city filled with great commotion. There were constant arrivals, whipping, auctioning, separation of families, death etc. of slaves. The African slaves were considered to be “chattel”, a wealthy Portugues plantation owner’s property, instead of a human. The ideology of objectification of the Africans also justified all of whipping, pain and humiliation induced on them by the Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro and similar slave markets.
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TortureThe Portuguese slave markets brought mental pain/loss upon the African Slaves as well. It was extremely common to see African, slave families being split up at the auctions. An entire family being auctioned off to one Sugarcane Engenho was a rare occurrence. The death or torture of loved ones took a tole on the mental sanity of the captured Africans too. African slaves were constantly, brutally whipped, and potential beat to death, at the slave ports.
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SignificanceRio de Janeiro and other similar slave markets played a major role of helping the Engenhos in their constant need for new, reinforcements of slaves to work on the cane fields. Without the ports and slave markets there was no way to efficiently relocate the great masses of African slaves from the incoming ships to Sugarcane Engenhos all throughout Northern Brazil.
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