1831–1851: The illegal slave trade to Brazil in the mid-nineteenth century shifted its focus toward the southeastern portion of the country to bypass major p…

1831–1851: The illegal slave trade to Brazil in the mid-nineteenth century shifted its focus toward the southeastern portion of the country to bypass major ports like Rio de Janeiro. Traders attempted to avoid detection by expanding coffee production to areas south and west of the major urban centers. During this phase, an increasing number of captives began their forced journeys from Indian Ocean ports. This shift to more distant embarkation points significantly added to the length of the Middle Passage and contributed to higher shipboard mortality rates.