ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Ribeira dos Engenhos revolt 1821

Synopsis
Although this revolt in Ribeira dos Engenhos, Santa Catarina, is usually attributed to 1822, it actually began on December 16, 1821, when a group of more than twenty tenants from the Morgado dos Mosquitos estate laid siege to the residence of the landlord, Colonel Domingos Monteiro Ramos. In January 1822, Ramos filed a complaint with the Junta of Government, accusing the rebels of acting with “baleful intentions” by posting sentries to prevent people from reaching his house, resisting the enforcement officers present there, and refusing to pay their rents. The rebels, in turn, also lodged complaints with the authorities, denouncing the humiliation and arbitrary treatment they faced in rent collection, as well as the lack of formal written contracts. The Junta's attempt to restore order among the rebels was unsuccessful. In a mix of revolt and festive celebration, drawing on cultural practices of “batuco da tabanca” and popular religiosity, the armed rebels fortified themselves, warning that anyone who crossed Ribeira dos Engenhos without asking for permission would be killed. Realizing the gravity of the situation and its threat to public order, the authorities reported the matter to the metropolitan government in May 1822. The conflict would only be resolved after the arrival of the new Governor of Cape Verde, Chapuzet, in February 1823, who ordered the arrest of the rebellion’s leader and met with the population in Pinha dos Engenhos, appealing for their peace and fulfillment of duties, and promising that their grievances would be addressed.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 14 months. Name in sources: Revolta da Ribeira dos Engenhos. Location: Ribeira dos Engenhos (Santa Catarina), Ilha de Santiago, Country (current): Cape Verde. Monarchy: Portuguese. Main participants: Peasants, Women. Number of participants: <50. Main reasons & motivations: Anti-seigneurial, Labour conditions. Leadership: Manuel Francisco (o Coxo). Relevance: medium.

Further reading
BARCELLOS, Christiano J. Senna (2003). Subsídios para a História de Cabo Verde e Guiné, Vol. II, Parte II. Praia: IBNL. CARREIRA, António (2000). Cabo Verde: Formação e Extinção de uma Sociedade Escravocrata (1460-1878). Praia: IPC. PEREIRA, Eduardo A. Camilo (2013). Política e Cultura: As Revoltas dos Engenhos (1822), de Achada Falcão (1841) e de Ribeirão Manuel (1910). Praia: Infinito.
Cite this entry

Oliveira, Gertrudes Silva de (2022). "Ribeira dos Engenhos revolt 1821", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. http://atlas.cidehusdigital.uevora.pt/revolt/ribeira-dos-engenhos-revolt-1821/ (accessed on 31 Maio 2022).