Lei Áurea

Lei Áurea
Golden Law
Manuscript of the Lei Áurea
Brazilian National Archives
General Assembly of the Empire of Brazil
CitationLaw No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888
Territorial extentEmpire of Brazil
Passed byChamber of Deputies
Passed10 May 1888
Passed bySenate
Passed13 May 1888
Signed byIsabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil
Signed13 May 1888
Legislative history
First chamber: Chamber of Deputies
Introduced byRodrigo Augusto da Silva
Introduced8 May 1888
First reading10 May 1888
Passed10 May 1888
Second chamber: Senate
First reading11 May 1888
Second reading13 May 1888
Passed13 May 1888
Summary
Declares slavery extinct in Brazil.
Keywords
Abolitionism in Brazil, Slavery in Brazil
Status: In force
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The Lei Áurea (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈlej ˈawɾiɐ]; English: Golden Law), officially Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, is the law that abolished slavery in Brazil. It was signed by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), an opponent of slavery, who acted as regent to Emperor Pedro II, who was in Europe.

The Lei Áurea was preceded by the Rio Branco Law of 28 September 1871 ("the Law of Free Birth"), which freed all children born to slave parents, and by the Saraiva-Cotegipe Law (also known as "the Law of Sexagenarians"), of 28 September 1885, that freed slaves when they reached the age of 60. Brazil was the last country in the Western world to abolish slavery.