“Those who were able to work”: dominion, politics and culture in the labor relations of the South Atlantic (17^th and 18^th centuries)

ABSTRACT

This article is an initial look at the different labor modalities and relationships that characterized the Kingdom of Angola and Portuguese America in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. It emphasizes the possibilities for comparing strategies of dominion, control and exploitation of local populations on both sides of the Atlantic. The paper discusses the forms of labor organization of Indigenous and African people, such as the concept of labor and its relationship with other areas of social life, the rhythms and times of work, knowledge and techniques, and patterns of discipline in workers’ daily lives, both before and after colonial control policies. It also examines how workers of various origins and social conditions experienced different types of labor (enslaved or free), developed forms of resistance and negotiation, (re) invented new cultural and work practices, and created solutions for conflicts.

Keywords:
Angola; Portuguese America; labor; law; Atlantic connections