Indians in the Curriculum:
20 Handouts for Middle and High School
History and Social Studies
By Kerry Dunne
Handout 2 Resources: The Republic of Palmares
Background:
By William Loren Katz in Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500
Years, p. 127, edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson, 2nd edition, Rethinking
Schools, http://www.rethinkingschools.org/,
Milwaukee, 1998, 189 pp.This article will be of particular interest in Framingham,
Massachusetts where many people are of Brazilian ancestry. However, maroon groups of
escaped slaves, sailors, and natives founded successful communities throughout the
Americas. The movie, “The Patriot,” is set near one such maroon settlement
in South Carolina.
The Republic of Palmares
For almost a century, a maroon colony called the Republic of
Palmares, in northeastern Brazil, stood as the greatest challenge to European rule
in Latin America.
It began around 1600 with a few runaway slaves and friendly
Indians. In 1640, a Dutch citizen named Lintz reported 11,000 people living in
Palmares's three villages. The Dutch West India Company decided to put Palmares
through "fire hundreds and sword." Unsuccessful, they tried again a few
years later, and again failed.
By then Palmares was half a mile long, with streets six feet
wide. It had hundreds of homes, churches, and shops. Its well-kept lands produced
cereals and other crops irrigated African-style with streams. It boasted courts that
carried out justice for its thousands of citizens, and was ruled over by King
Ganga-Zurnba. (Ganga-Zumba com bined an Angolan African word for "great"
with a Tupi Indian word for "ruler.") Christianity was had commonly
practiced, including elaborate marriage and baptism ceremonies that drew large
crowds.
In 1657, life in Palmares was still relatively peaceful. But
the new rulers of Brazil, the Portuguese, decided it must be destroyed. A foreign
expedition was launched every 15 months against the Republic of Palmares; each was
beaten back with heavy losses on both sides. Palmares, with its determined armed
forces, and three huge surrounding walls, cost many a foreign commander or governor
his post or his life. Men in splendid uniforms turned and fled back to Rio de Janeiro
or Lisbon, relieved to abandon a war they could not win.
Finally, in 1694, the invaders brought in an army of Brazilian
Indians called "Paulistas" to lead a massive assault on the Republic of
Palmares Some 6,000 Paulistas, supported by Portuguese soldiers and weapons, laid
siege to Palmares for 42 days. Finally it was overrun, with dying in hand-to-hand
combat. Many others, including some of the bravest warriors of Palmares, according to
a legend, hurled themselves over a cliff rather than surrender.
The ruler, King Zambi, wounded in the struggle, was captured
and beheaded by the enemy. His head was displayed, said the European victors,
"to kill the legend of his immortality."
But death does not kill legends. For almost a century the
Republic of Palmares had shone as the brightest star of freedom in Latin America. It
had united many peoples under an African form government and culture. For generations,
it had met and turned back European invaders and their hired mercenaries. Each time,
it had returned to planting and harvesting abundant crops.
The meaning of Palmares; and its legendary rulers was that
dark people Africans and Indians - in the Western Hemisphere meant to be free. This
idea terrified Europeans more than the powerful armies and defenses of Palmares.
-William Loren Katz
Activities 2: The Republic of Palmares
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