Crossroads of Freedom: Stories of Slaves and Freedmen in Bahia (1870 - 1910)

A STUDY OF THE LIVES OF SLAVES AFTER ABOLITION IN BRAZIL. Understanding the fate of former slaves, what they did, and what they thought about freedom after the end of slavery is the great challenge of this book. Crossing various types of historical sources, the author reconstructs the life stories of former slaves who lived on large sugar plantations in the Recôncavo region of Bahia. The aim is to understand how the experiences of slavery were reflected in the daily lives of former slaves after abolition, guiding their cultures, choices, and projects for freedom. • Received the Clarence H. Haring Award (2006-2011) for best historiographical book in the Americas. • Walter Fraga is a professor at the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB). He received the 2010 Jabuti Award for best supplementary book, with *A History of Afro-Brazilian Culture*.