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LEARNING ABOUT THE PASTMy father told me about slavery. His father and grandfather had told him our history of the old days when we lived in Africa. They said that White men arrived and captured our tribe. Older members were killed or left behind, while younger people were taken to the sailing boats. They were chained on the boats, and many weeks later those who survived arrived in Brazil.The Portuguese had captured people from my land and forced my family to work as slaves. Most worked day after day on sugar plantations in the burning sun. Living conditions were dreadful. People who were born into slavery would try to escape. To set an example, some were caught and punished while others were killed. However, some did manage to escape, and they gradually established their own communities. These were called quilombos. I was born a free person and lived with my parents and grandfather in a quilombo called Palmares. We were called ‘maroons’ and lived as best as we could. However, the white settlers were always expanding their plantations, forcing us to keep moving further away.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F82c0facc4f654b61a6e0b4871dccac8f" alt="" style="width: 404.843px; height: 242.344px;"> <o:p></o:p>AN UNCERTAIN FUTUREOne day, the Portuguese raided our village and captured my parents, forcing them into slavery. I was only about six years old, so they did not want me. Father Antonio Melo heard of the raid and took me in, as well as some others. We had been rescued from a life of slavery, but I was far from free.&nbsp;For months I cried for my parents. I was baptised into the Roman Catholic Church and given a new name: Francisco. The priests taught me how to read and write and did not allow me to speak to the other boys in my own language. Instead, they taught me Latin and Portuguese.The rules were strict and beatings were given to those who disobeyed. There was little time for play and of course many of the children were sad, as they had no family. As I grew older, I realised that something had to be done.RISING UPI had to escape. When I was 15, I finally managed it. I returned to where I was born, and where my family had been free. But I saw for myself how much things had changed.The Portuguese landowners had taken over and slaves laboured from sunrise to sunset. Those I met said that my parents had died from hard work and little food.&nbsp;Anger rose inside me, and I became determined to fight for our rights. I met with other young slaves who wanted freedom. Our bond was strong; we cared about one another and were fiercely loyal. We became friends through our fight for freedom. We understood each other in our cause, and they respected the fact I was educated.The people who were raiding our land came, but we knew the territory better than them. We were able to take their horses and weapons, and they became fearful. We took back our villages and land. That is how quilombos were once again developed.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F69c7b5ffb7bc4551a7e756dc9e83a2a2" alt="" style="width: 25%;"> <o:p></o:p>CONTINUING THE STRUGGLEEventually Pedro de Almeida, the Portuguese governor of Pernambuco, made an offer to give slaves their freedom. But he insisted that the Portuguese had authority over us. Our leader said yes. However, I had seen what had happened to my family, so I disagreed with him and said no. This led to us having a battle, after which I became the new leader of Palmares.Sadly, many of those who accepted the offer were caught and enslaved. It was time for war and a fight for independence. My men had the determination, but the Portuguese had new weapons. We fought hard for our rights, but it was not a fair fight.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2Fd818fb86d43040a68738302a6272a990" alt="" style="width: 368px; height: 254.832px;">For two years, I kept the struggle going. I trained my men in Capoeira, a form of martial arts. Then I was betrayed, and on 20 November 1695, I was captured by the Portuguese. There was no trial. Although I had been born free and educated, they still treated me as a slave.&nbsp;My execution was ordered. But I knew that I had played my part in resisting slavery and that one day my people would be free.GLOSSARYQuilombos&nbsp;– remote settlements in Brazil, originally founded as a refuge by escaped slaves or their descendants.Maroons&nbsp;– members of various communities in parts of the Caribbean who were originally descended from escaped slaves.Capoeira&nbsp;– an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music.LEGACY AND RECOGNITION<ul><li>Zumbi dos Palmares is thought of in Afro-Brazilian culture as a powerful symbol of resistance against enslavement.</li><li>Slavery in Brazil finally ended in 1888. This was due in part to Zumbi dos Palmares.</li><li>The anniversary of his death is celebrated each year on 20 November in Brazil and is called Black Consciousness Day.</li><li>A bust of Zumbi dos Palmares is displayed in Brasilia, with a plaque reading ‘Zumbi dos Palmares, the black leader of all races’.</li><li>He was an expert in the self-defence method of Capoeira. His name is given to a fighter in the Macromedia Flash game Capoeira Fighter 2 &amp; 3.</li><li>His life is the subject of numerous songs, plays and films. The Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport in Maceió, Brazil, is named after him.</li></ul>IMAGE CAPTIONS AND CREDITSMen practising Capoeira, Johann Moritz Rugendas, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsQuilombo at Palmares, Alchetron, Public domainStatue of Zumbi dos Palmares, Salvador, Brazil, Gorivero, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>

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