Palmares, << puhl MAH rihs, >> was the largest and most famous community established by runaway slaves in Brazil during the 1600’s. Through the years, it served as an important symbol of the black struggle for freedom in Brazil and other parts of the Americas.
Palmares was formed about 1605 and grew through the union of several mocambos–that is, settlements of runaway slaves. It lay in a rugged area of what is now northeastern Brazil. Eventually, Palmares was organized like an African kingdom, with a powerful elected king. Several relatives helped the king rule the community.
Palmares was composed primarily of African-born people from several ethnic groups, but it also attracted blacks born in Brazil. Estimates of the size of Palmares vary, but the kingdom was home to 11,000 to 20,000 people at its peak.
The people of Palmares hunted and fished. They grew a variety of crops, including bananas, beans, cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane. They were skilled at various crafts, including pottery making, woodworking, and weaving.
Palmares withstood attacks from the Dutch, who took control of Brazil from Portugal in 1630, and from the Portuguese, who regained the colony in 1654. The Portuguese attacked Palmares almost annually from 1672 to 1694, when they finally destroyed the kingdom.
