Handwritten letter from Joaquim Nabuco (1908)

Twenty years after the Áurea law, Brazil's then ambassador to the United States, Joaquim Nabuco, remembers the abolitionist struggle.

• Handwritten letter from Joaquim Nabuco to Bastos Tigre, with its envelope.
• Washington, May 18, 1908.
• A leaf.
• 11.3 cm x 17.6 cm.
• In Portuguese.
• Good condition, some stains from age.
• Unique piece.

Joaquim Nabuco (1849-1910) had a full life and successfully practiced many professions. However, his fame remained, above all, for being an active activist for the abolition of slavery in Brazil, with a fundamental role in the 1888 law. His several books and articles on the subject, including “O Abolitionismo” and “Minha Formação”, are references to this day. In addition to criticism of the Church, which did not defend the emancipation of slaves. This legacy is even more remarkable when we know that he was born in Recife, and was raised by a family that had slaves.

Very respected and friend of great personalities, such as Machado de Assis, he then became one of the great diplomats of the Brazilian Empire (1822-1889) and the first Brazilian ambassador to the United States, between 1905 and 1910, which marked a change significant impact on your country's role on the world stage. Nabuco realized the importance of Brazil, and other South American nations, developing a united relationship with the North American scenario.

The letter, written at that time, is remarkable for this reason, but also and above all, for evoking his abolitionist struggle in Recife, his life's work. Furthermore, it is one of the last letters of his life, as he died in Washington a few months later.

The slave mentality, racism and discrimination in general have not yet been overcome. As Nabuco predicted for Brazil, there is still a long way to go, and this letter remains very current.