Enslaved Brazilians organized into maroon communities from slavery’s outset

Evidence

From the beginnings of slavery, escapes were frequent. The escaped slaves, called locally, quilombolas, often gathered together in organized groups, known in Brazil as quilombos. … From the beginning, the owners complained of the frequent escapes of the slaves, demanding protection and security from the public authorities. Later the situation was met by the employment of the bush captain and by notices in the press, publicizing the loss of the slaves and urging collective action for their recapture. — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 658

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines quilombolas and quilombos, the Portuguese-Brazilian terms for escaped slaves and their maroon settlements.