Fate of Savings Belonging to Enslaved People in Brazilian State Bank Becomes Target of Investigation
Key takeaways
- Enslaved people opened accounts to save money to buy their own freedom or that of relatives, but deposits and withdrawals depended on authorization from slave owners.
- Caixa has so far identified 158 savings passbooks belonging to enslaved people in a survey limited to Mato Grosso state in central-western Brazil.
- Historians estimate the nationwide number is far higher: proportionally, Rio de Janeiro alone could have more than 1,000 similar accounts.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Enslaved people opened accounts to save money to buy their own freedom or that of relatives, but deposits and withdrawals depended on authorization from slave owners. After the Golden Law abolished slavery, neither the state nor the bank informed them that they could freely access their accounts.
Caixa has so far identified 158 savings passbooks belonging to enslaved people in a survey limited to Mato Grosso state in central-western Brazil.
Historians estimate the nationwide number is far higher: proportionally, Rio de Janeiro alone could have more than 1,000 similar accounts. Researchers argue the investigation should expand to 180 volumes of current account records spread across the country.