Decree by King Joseph I of Portugal
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Scope and Contents
This decree, dated September 20, 1760, and signed "Rey" (King) at the end, is accompanied by formal texts signed by the Portuguese jurist and diplomat Alexandre Metelo de Sousa e Menezes (1687-1766), along with several other signatures. The law contained in this document prohibited Romani people, who had been deported to Brazil, from engaging in activities such as animal or slave trading, carrying arms, or forming separate communities. Violators were to be transported to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, located off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. The children of Romani families were required to receive an education and learn a trade, while the men were expected to either become soldiers or be employed in public works. Despite the harshness of this legislation, Romani people in Colonial Brazil were often able to prosper and faced less persecution than their counterparts in Portugal.
Dates
- Creation: 1760
Creator
- Joseph, King of Portugal, 1714-1777 (Person)
- Portugal. Sovereign (1750-1777 : Joseph) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
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Conditions Governing Use
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Biographical / Historical
Beginning in the sixteenth century under the rule of King John III, the Portuguese crown enacted increasingly severe laws aimed at controlling and assimilating the Romani population. These laws prohibited the use of the Romani language, traditional dress, and nomadic lifestyle, and classified non-compliant individuals as irredeemable, often resulting in forced deportation to overseas colonies. The 1760 decree reflected this long-standing policy, expanding its reach into Colonial Brazil by restricting Romani economic and social practices, imposing state-mandated education and labor, and threatening further exile to remote island colonies such as São Tomé and Príncipe and Cape Verde. Despite these oppressive measures, Romani communities in Brazil often adapted to local conditions and, in some cases, faced less systemic persecution than in Portugal. This period of legal repression lasted until Portugal's Liberal Revolution of 1820, after which Romani individuals were granted full citizenship in 1822.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
Portuguese
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The University of Alabama Libraries acquired the Decree by King Joseph I of Portugal from Forum and Asher Rare Books in 2025.
Processing Information
Processed by Donovan Balderama, April 2025.
- Title
- Guide to the Decree by King Joseph I of Portugal
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid created by Donovan Balderama, April 2025.
- Date
- April 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository