Legacy of the Lash is a compelling social and cultural history of the Brazilian navy in the decades preceding and immediately following the 1888 abolition of slavery in Brazil. Focusing on non-elite, mostly black enlisted men and the oppressive labor regimes under which they struggled, the book is an examination of the four-day Revolta da Chibata (Revolt of the Lash) of November 1910, during which nearly half of Rio de Janeiro's enlisted men rebelled against the use of corporal punishment in the navy. These men seized four new, powerful warships, turned their guns on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's capital city, and held its population hostage until the government abolished the use of the lash as a means of military discipline. Although the revolt succeeded, the men involved paid dearly for their actions. This event provides a clear lens through which to examine racial identity, violence, masculinity, citizenship, modernity, and the construction of the Brazilian nation.

About the Author

Zachary R. Morgan is an associate professor of Latin American history and African American studies at Penn State University. He has prevoiusly taught in the American Studies department at the University of Nex Mexico and in the History departments of Boston College and William Paterson University.

Reviews

The book, which is very well written and based on extensive documentary research, portrays the existence of a strict social and racial hierarchy in Brazil, thus adding to countless studies that, for the past several decades, have challenged the still-quite-persistent idea that the country is an example of racial harmony.

* Hispanic American Historical Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253014207
Author Zachary R. Morgan
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 603g