O tráfico negreiro da Bahia: agentes, investimentos e redistribuição (1690-1817)

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the Africans slave trade in Salvador da Bahia between 1690 and 1817. What is intended is to demonstrate the global political and global economic dimensions of slave trade, not previously evidenced. The research was divided into two parts. The first discusses the organization of slave trade in Bahia, in the first half of the 18th century. From discussions about politics and diplomacy it seeks to understand how supranational issues interfered in Salvador´s relation with Costa da Mina. Then, it analyzes how Bahia´s businessman organized themselves to defend their commercial interests in Costa da Mina, while maintaining their trade relations with commercial agents in Lisbon. The two chapters refute a nationalist historiographical discussion, centered on the protagonism of merchans from Salvador, against the Portuguese counterparts and centered on bilateral trade between Bahia and Africa. The second part shows that the slave trade in Bahia followed traditional rules of European mercantile culture, using the same instruments for financing the business, like risk notes, shipments, and societies. Bahia´s slave trade also presented specific settings like broad social participation in investments. It became clear that slave trade was supported by loan in two levels: the first concentrate in professional creditors businessman with capital, power political and inserted in global business networks. The second marked by medium and small investors. Some women stand out at first level, integrating slaver families, investing in slave trade in lifelong or managing the business when turn widow. The research dialogues with Global History, focusing on relationship between Bahia´s slave trade and other Brazilian marketplaces, topicals commodities (sugar, tobacco, gold), European consumers and Asian partners.