Antônio Ribeiro Dantas

Brazilian abolitionist who led the movement to end slavery through legislative reforms and humanitarian campaigns

Antônio Ribeiro Dantas (1796-1864) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who became the leading figure in Brazil's anti-slavery movement. As a member of the Brazilian Parliament from 1831, he introduced over 20 anti-slavery bills, including the 1831 Free Womb Law which granted freedom to children born to enslaved mothers. Though the law was later suspended, it established precedents for gradual emancipation.

Dantas' most significant achievement came through the Golden Law of 1888, which he had advocated for over 50 years. His 1850 publication Slavery in Brazil: Its Evils and Remedies became a foundational text for abolitionists, detailing the economic inefficiencies and moral corruption of slavery. He organized the 1853 Rio de Janeiro anti-slavery congress, uniting abolitionists across social classes.

Despite facing death threats and legislative obstruction, Dantas maintained a non-violent approach, emphasizing moral persuasion over revolution. He founded the Journal of the Friends of the Negro in 1832, the first abolitionist publication in the Americas. His legal strategy focused on exploiting loopholes in colonial laws to free enslaved individuals, winning over 140 court cases between 1822-1850.

After slavery's abolition, Dantas advocated for freed people's rights, establishing schools and cooperatives. His memoir My Life's Battle (1862) remains a key primary source on Brazilian abolitionism. Modern historians credit his legislative persistence as crucial to Brazil's eventual emancipation. The Ribeiro Dantas Institute in Rio today promotes human rights education, continuing his legacy. His statue in Salvador's abolition square stands near sites where he once organized protests.