Mr Carlos Liberato de Sousa, York University, Canada
2005 award - pilot project
£12,991 for 12 months.
Enlarged Image [73 KB]
This pilot project will explore small, unattended archives in two Amazon states in Brazil, Maranhão and Pará, that are related to the history of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Although the major slave importations occurred through the ports of São Luís (Maranhão) and Belém (Pará), these West African slaves could be found as far as the gold mines of Mato Grosso, being transported through Amazon rivers, lakes, and channels, further to the interior and the southern areas.
Enlarged
Image [69 KB]
These archives are very rich in all kinds of information between the early 17th century and the end of the 19th century, and in a few cases the middle of the 20th century. This documentation originated with the state (Portuguese and Brazilian administrations), churches (especially Catholic missionaries and priests), and notarial offices (notarial records and civil contracts).
Enlarged Image [71 KB]
The physical conditions of the archives vary enormously but most are in a poor condition. The northern region of Brazil is hot and wet, which makes conservation a difficult task. The archives lack financing and therefore do not have access to the necessary technology. The fact is that the vast holdings of this region are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Nature and negligence are together creating a desperate need to rescue this important part of world history.
The pilot project will explore a prioritised number of archives to make inventories and identify the most seriously endangered collections.
