Antonio Pedrozo de Albuquerque:

aspects of the wealth of a capitalist in the north of Brazilian empire in the last decade of slavery (1878-1879)

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century, Antonio Pedrozo de Albuquerque was proclaimed the "First Capitalist in the North of the Empire", in Brazil. He, who had made his fortune in the transatlantic slave trade among other activities, both licit and illicit, died in 1878, leaving assets valued at more than 4.000:000$000rs and at least 560 enslaved. The first part of his inventory, carried out in 1878 and 1879, included the properties in Salvador, Itaparica Island, Santo Amaro, São Francisco do Conde and Valença (Bahia), as well as shares and titles in companies in Brazil and Portugal; other assets, as yet unknown, were left to be shared. In this paper, we look at the inventory document of his assets, seeking to identify the composition and geographical distribution of his wealth and the profile of his enslaved population. Given the size of his fortune and slave population, we believe that the case of Antonio Pedrozo de Albuquerque provides important insights into the patterns of investment and slave ownership among the wealthier classes in the North of the Brazilian Empire in the last decade of slavery. In addition, it contributes to accurately highlighting the possible confluences and specificities between the capitalists and/or mega-owners of enslaved individuals in the North and South of Brazil in the period. The text is organized into four sections: in the first, an introductory section, an overview is given of the capitalist's will, as well as his trajectory; in the second, third and fourth parts, the composition of his assets, the geographical distribution of his wealth and the profile of the workers he enslaved are discussed.