Rileigh Smith
Furtado aims at shedding new light on the freedwomen of Chica da Silva’s period;
ultimately bringing them into history to be freed of stereotypes that have been accumulated
over time. While studying the life of Chica da Silva, Furtado has allowed the reader to
understand the society in which they lived and what women had to do to be accepted,
reconstructing history of the 18th century. In order to write this book, Furtado uses sources
based on official documents stored in libraries and archives in Brazil, Portugal, and the
United States. Because all intimate records have been lost, baptismal records, brotherhood
rosters, royal orders, lawsuits, petitions and other documents reveal facts of the time
period.
Portugal was known for their “splendorous” wealth from the Brazilian mines that shined
with gold, which attracted migrators to the Diamantine region. João Fernandes de Oliveria
was one of the richest men in Portugal and his rise of becoming Chief Judge and a
diamond contractor symbolized the era with the proceeds from his business overseas,
climbing both economically and socially. Fernandes bought Chica da Silva with the
intention of making her his companion and spent his first Christmas in Tejuco with the
concession of manumission to her (105). Chica da Silva was daughter of former black
slave Maria da Costa, who as a child was granted no special treatment because she was a
daughter of a slave- teaching her to fend for herself, just like the other freedwomen of
Tejuco. Since João was extremely religious he wanted to improve holy formations among
the city, intending to establish himself in the Realm and make a quick and brilliant career.
However, in order to gain access to any position/honor, João had to be submitted through a
process of de genere, which included the investigation of a spotless reputation. Although
João and Chica rarely attended religious ceremonies together, due to concubinage,
attending Sunday mass and other ceremonies was considered to be a main social event to
see and be seen at. Chica would dress in lavish and luxurious garb, accompanied by an
array of accessories such as silver buckles and colored gems. These indicated a lady’s
public position and often were outward signs of wealth. Along with this, João and Chica
had a tropical garden outside their home. In Portugal it was both costly and complicated to
upkeep one, so they required the work of an experienced gardener to tend to them (217).
