"Women of Salvador" ©2001 photo Elroy
Christenson
Salvador was a capital of the country of Brazil. It was a major center
of sugarcane plantations and these plantation had to have a lot of
laborers and so the Portuguese settlers imported a lot of slaves.
Slavery was not eliminated in Brazil until 1888, 25 years after it had
been banned in the USA and 80 years after it had been banned in
England. In Salvador the dominate population is African by 80%, other
areas of Brazil are more European. The most important slave revolts of
Brazil between 1806 and 1835 were in the state of Bahia. The progeny of
the slaves have developed an African culture here that rivals the
beliefs and practises of their African roots. The city of Salvador is
amazingly prosperous and well managed when compared with many of the
other countries we visited. The Salvador music and Mardi Gras festival
are renowned world wide.
