Keywords
Argentinean blacks
slaves and army
slaves soldiers
slaves and masters
abolition
freedom
How to Cite
Abstract
The city of Buenos Aires was founded, for the second time 1580 essentially as an outpost of the Spanish Empire to be protected from Indian attacks and possible foreign incursion, basically Portuguese in origin. Thus, from the beginnings of the city's founding, African slaves were used for the defense of the city. They acted in the urban militias, and were outstanding in the defense and re-conquest of the city when the English attacked in 1806- 1807. Innumerable prizes and eulogies were followed by integration of segregated divisions with a white officer corps.After 1813, a series of decrees ordered owners to exchange slaves for use in the Wars of Independence. Thus, property owners were obliged to sell to the State a number of their slaves according to the work performed by the slaves. The slaves would enter the armies as free persons and would serve five years as 'front line" soldiers in order to obtain their freedom. This article studies the participation of the Afro-Argentines in the distinct 'fronts" of the armies of liberation. The paper also reflects on the opinions of the generals who commanded Afro-Argentine troops.
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