The hierarchies of slavery in Santos, Brazil, 1822-1888 - Read, Ian, (Ian William Olivo) (Stanford University Press, 2012)
Includes bibliographical references and index
Masters and their slaves. Neighborhoods and inequality -- Material and demographic changes -- Slave markets and networks -- Slaves and their masters. Family, work, and punishment -- Illness, recovery, and death -- Pathways to freedom : manumission and flight -- "Manumissionists," abolitionists, and emancipation
Despite the inherent brutality of slavery, some slaves could find small but important opportunities to act decisively. This book explores such moments of opportunity and resistance in Santos, a Southeastern township in Imperial Brazil. It argues that slavery in Brazil was hierarchical: slaves' fleeting chances to form families, work jobs that would not kill or maim, avoid debilitating diseases, or find a (legal or illegal) pathway out of slavery were highly influenced by their demographic background and their owners' social position