Abstract
This article defends the idea that Brazilian slavery was underpinned by a great pact of Brazilian society against slaves, with the participation of several sectors of the population, not only the major slave owners. In Brazil, slave ownership spread throughout all regions, social classes and economic sectors, creating a unity of interest that isolated the slaves and their struggles. This social alliance against the slaves explains, among other things, why the first Constitution and the first Brazilian penal codes were so liberal for the time.
Keywords:
History of slavery; History of law in Brazil; Race relations