Maria Rosa, Josepha, Rita and Benedita

At the end of the nineteenth century, these four enslaved women were fighting for their freedom. They lived in the capital city of Rio de Janeiro and received donations from the Livro de Ouro (Golden Book), an emancipation fund created in 1884. Many captives sent letters to the Empress of Brazil, D. Teresa Cristina (1822-1889), seeking manumission, while others counted on the intercession of their masters or politicians.