Abstract
The Brazilian penalty of the lash was reformed (1886) by a cabinet and parliament opposed to abolition. While the penalty's abuse had been exploited by Abolitionists attempting the cabinet's fall, the cabinet unexpectedly supported its reform. This apparent contradiction has not been satisfactorily addressed; this article attempts to do so. It will demonstrate that the cabinet's support was a cabinet tactic designed to vindicate the cabinet's policies and strength. Nonetheless, the revocation of the state's role in flogging delegitimizing flogging on plantations, too, despite the cabinet's expectations. Indeed, the reform impacted plantation destabilization, which helped lead to the cabinet's fall and the 1888 law abolishing slavery. This complex series of events illustrates the Abolitionist struggle's interweave between parliament, the movement, and slave agency.
Keywords:
Abolitionism; slavery; pena de açoites; Parliament