Cartas ao Imperador

os pedidos de perdão de réus escravos e a decisão de 17 de outubro de 1872

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the decision of Emperor Dom Pedro II dated
from October 17, 1872, to manumit defendants’ slaves who were forgiven
of a life sentence. That is, with this decision, the slaves that were pardoned
by the monarch of a life sentence in prison, no longer would be required
to return to their masters control, they were fully free. While not complete
unknown to researches of slavery, the 1872 decision has yet been little
explored. The purpose of this paper is to analyze both the debate leading up
to the resolution of the monarch in 1872, took place in the Ministry of Justice
and the Justice section of the State Council, but also examines the profile
of released defendants, the frequency with which slaves were pardoned by
Dom Pedro II and the impact of these actions in the emancipation process.
Also it is important to analyze the relationship between the decision of 1872
and the intensification of the process of sending forgiveness letters by slave
defendants to the Emperor in subsequent years.