Lords of the waters: Quilombos of the Amazon paráense (19th century)

Abstract

According to specialised historiography, the province of Pará had the highest number of complaints and occurrences of black slaves fleeing to quilombos in the 19th century.. The vast and dense Amazon rainforest and the immense number of rivers were accomplices in the escapes and development of these territories. The aim of this article is to show how these spaces were configured and what cultural and social logics were used to ensure the permanence of these quilombos in the Amazon region of Pará during the 19th century. To this end, a range of documents from the period were used, such as newspaper reports, provincial reports and publications by foreign travellers. As a result, documentary evidence was obtained that allowed the reproduction of sketches of the implantation of these spaces, demonstrating the endogenous logics adopted and the socio-economic strategies, such as the quilombolas’ mastery of navigation and vast knowledge of the natural territory; the adoption of a pattern of implantation of the constructions; and the built spaces intricately interwoven with the natural signs. The conclusion is that there was a common pattern of morphology in the quilombo settlements in the Pará Amazon, with rivers as the main spatial, symbolic and social reference element.