Syncretism, Networks of Faith and Credit among Freed Slaves in the 18th-Century Pitangui Backlands

Syncretism, Networks of Faith and Credit among Freed Slaves in the 18th-Century Pitangui Backlands

Authors

Keywords:

Alma. Credit. Word. Freed slaves. Syncretism.

Abstract

This article investigates the interplay between credit, religiosity, and pledged word in the backlands of Pitangui, Minas Gerais, during the eighteenth century. Based on the analysis of wills, matrimonial records, and Actions of the Soul, it seeks to understand how freed slaves developed legal, symbolic, and spiritual strategies to access credit, consolidate solidarity networks, and assert their social standing. Rather than mere responses to limited monetary circulation, these practices reveal the existence of a moral economy grounded in faith, reputation, and communal trust. The activities of lay brotherhoods and the use of religious oaths illustrate how spiritual elements were mobilized to secure financial obligations and maintain social bonds. By integrating religion, economy, and justice, the article contributes to a historiography that recognizes freed slaves as active agents in shaping complex sociability within the colonial Luso-Brazilian interior.

Keywords: Faith. Credit. Word. Freed Slaves. Syncretism.

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Author Biography

  • Charles Aquino, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ)

    Mestre em História pela Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ).

Published

2025-07-28

How to Cite

Syncretism, Networks of Faith and Credit among Freed Slaves in the 18th-Century Pitangui Backlands: Syncretism, Networks of Faith and Credit among Freed Slaves in the 18th-Century Pitangui Backlands. (2025). REVHIST - Revista De História Da UEG, 14(1), e412509. https://www.revista.ueg.br/index.php/revistahistoria/article/view/16213