Catarina Cassage

An African woman enslaved in Brazil, Catarina Cassange fled to live in freedom when she was pregnant. Between 1838 and 1839, her owner placed several search ads in the newspaper Diário do Rio de Janeiro. As a well-known saleswoman, Catarina used to walk around Livramento Street and it was there that she was helped by other Africans during her planned escape. Aleixo, an African freedman who worked as a barber, helped hide Catarina in his house on Ferradores Street. She then got support to reach the Laranjeiras quilombo, where she gave birth to her son José.