Publisher's Synopsis
This volume examines the political, cultural and social roles of the population with African background in the shaping of national identity in various Latin American countries. Slavery surived well into the 19th century in countries such as Brazil and Cuba; first, its existence, and then, the dismantling of the institution strongly affected the definition of citenship in the emerging nation-states. However, not all blacks were slaves, and a significant number of slaves gained their freedom during periods of war and other central events in the process of state formation. In addition to their direct participation in struggles of national significance, blacks also wrote on social, political and cultural issues. Their involvement in politics - in elections, civil wars and revolutions, and in office as well as in religious activities, family institutions and civil associations, is considered in terms of the broader significance to the forging of citizenship and national identity.
