ENSLAVED FAMILIES IN FEIRA DE SANTANA 1785-1826

The information found in the baptism books of the Parish of São José das Itapororocas in Feira de Santana on the existence of enslaved family formation in Agreste Baiano deconstructs the myth of the unruly black family living in sexual promiscuity or its non-existence. It is important to note that in some cases found in the baptism books of the Parish of São José das Itapororocas (1785-1826) the results show the presence of single African mothers at the baptism where the presence of the father was rare in the sponsorship of Africans found in the locality. The cases found show the multiple family symbolic and religious formations present in the Feirense territory. From this perspective the process of family formation was fundamental for the enslaved blacks in the parish of São José das Itapororocas as they were able to expand their affective and symbolic ties through relationships of compadrio and the expansion of family members. Family formation made it possible to improve life in the slaveholdings. Knowledge about enslaved families shows that the experiences of enslaved people in black households.