The political realm of Teodoro Sampaio and Rui Barbosa: strategies and alliances made by colored men in Brazil (1880-1919)

The goal of this text is to analyze the political participation of colored men in Brazil between 1880 and 1919 by describing the experiences of Teodoro Sampaio and Rui Barbosa. Sampaio's trajectory shows us how a colored man raised in one of the most traditional strongholds of slavery in the Americas interpreted the relations and the political grammar that shaped his character in the post-abolition period. Theodoro Sampaio spent the 1880s trying to gather financial and political resources to purchase the manumission of his three brothers and consolidate his career as an engineer, while Rui Barbosa, a jurist, journalist, and liberal politician, was a fervent advocate of the abolition of slavery. In 1919, Sampaio, already a reputable engineer, supported Rui Barbosa's presidential campaign. The previous history of slavery and citizenship of the black population justified both of these men's political viewpoints. The references used in this article include speeches, newspaper cuttings, personal correspondence and inventories.

Teodoro Sampaio; Rui Barbosa; emancipation; post-abolition period; citizenship