1791–1856: The nineteenth century saw more captives arrive in Brazil than in any other country, driven by the insatiable labor requirements of the expanding …

1791–1856: The nineteenth century saw more captives arrive in Brazil than in any other country, driven by the insatiable labor requirements of the expanding coffee and sugar frontiers. Following the official end of the Atlantic trade, a massive internal traffic developed as thousands of captives were moved from the northern provinces of Bahia and Pernambuco to the southeastern coffee regions. While Rio de Janeiro remained a central hub, illegal vessels after 1838 frequently disembarked their human cargo surreptitiously at remote coastal locations to avoid naval patrols. This era represented the final, intense phase of the Brazilian slave system before its eventual suppression.