Pombal's 1761 Ban on Slave Imports
- When
- 1761
- Where
- Kingdom of Portugal
The Marquis of Pombal banned African slave imports to Portugal and Portuguese India in 1761, deliberately redirecting the trade to Brazil.
In 1761 the Marquis of Pombal banned the importation of African slaves to Portugal and Portuguese India. The measure was explicitly not an anti-slavery measure; its purpose was to ensure that enslaved Africans went to Brazil instead, where Pombal encouraged the slave trade with his support and direct involvement. The ban applied to European Portugal, leaving slavery itself in place until its later abolition in 1869.
Sources
- Slavery in Portugal Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
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