Saraiva-Cotegipe Law

Even though it had virtually no practical effect, since it freed only slaves who, because of their age, were less valued, there was great resistance from slaveowners and their representatives in the National Assembly.

On the other hand, the masters falsely registered their slaves as being younger than they in fact were and, when freed, many had nowhere to go and/or had their relatives kept in the same situation of slavery.

[9] At the time the Sexagenarian Law was enacted, the Brazilian government was suffering internal and external pressures to curb slavery.

[8] In 1884, the president of the Council of Ministers, the liberal Sousa Dantas, presented to the parliament a bill that gave prestige to abolitionist ideas.

[12] The Chamber approved a motion repudiating the project and, in the course of the political crisis created, Emperor Pedro II dissolved the lower House of Parliament,[13] with the subsequent calling of general elections.

[14] The liberation of sexagenarian slaves without receiving compensation was the issue that brought about the greatest disagreement, which continued after the elections, leading Dantas to step down.

[16] Saraiva eventually fell and the new president-designate, the conservative João Maurício Wanderley, Baron of Cotegipe, succeeded in approving the bill without amendments from the senators, although several criticisms continued to be made.

[16] In addition, the text also established other provisions, including: The adoption of the Sexagenarian Law produced few practical effects since only a minority of Brazilian slaves were over 60 years old.

[23] Addressing the Sexagenarian Law, historian Emília Viotti da Costa wrote:"It was a desperate attempt by those who clung to slavery to halt the march of the process.