Paper short abstract:

According to Gerald Bender, the Portuguese relied on degredados to maintain a colonial presence in Angola, where, he argues, they committed almost every crime imaginable. Nonetheless, historians have largely neglected crime in this context. This paper uses crime to explore the emergence of a police state.

Paper long abstract:

In 1681 an anonymous poet described Angola as: "[the] dunghill of Portugal where she purges her scum." The 'scum' referred to the Portuguese convicts (degredados) exported to the Portuguese colony of Angola. According to Gerald Bender, the Portuguese could not attract free settlers and relied on degredados to maintain a colonial presence in Angola. There, he argues, they committed almost every crime imaginable and posed a major threat to the peace and well-being of "Africans and Europeans alike." Although Bender paints a dangerous picture of Angola, historians have largely neglected crime in this context. In particular, the 19th century saw major economic changes and demographic growth, which are important factors in understanding crime and criminality. The colonial administration, anticipating a rise in crime, increased the police force and Governor General Pedro Alexandrino da Cunha introduced a series of prison reforms. This paper uses cases published in the Boletim Oficial de Angola (BOA), from the mid 19th century, speficially cases from the Parte da Polica Occurrencias section. By describing crime and punishment, it will highlight the emergence of a police state.