PRINCE OF THE PEOPLE CL

Although to his social superiors, Dom Oba II d'Africa was no more than a "half-crazed" man whom the Brazilian emperor, Dom Pedro II was misguided enough to receive at the palace, to Rio's slaves and people of colour he was revered as Prince of the People. Many paid him tithe as if he were a true African sovereign; they went down on their knees at his solemn passage; they met in bars to read aloud the articles which he published both in the popular press and in the quality journals of the day. Through this extraordinary figure, Silva finds an opportunity to explore popular ideas about the overthrow of slavery. He examines what the slaves and free people "of color" thought about liberty, race relations, civic rights and duties.

Eduardo Silva is a researcher at the Centro de Estudos Historicos at Fundacao Casa de Rui Barbosa, in Rio de Janeiro.