Considering political rights as a decisive advance to acquire citizenship, we analyse workers' involvement in the elections in Salvador from 1850 to 1881, during the Empire of Brazil (1822-1889). The research focuses on the role and strength of the workers' vote in the electoral process of a slave society. The final timeframe, 1881, was marked by the approval of the Lei Saraiva (Saraiva Law), which radically changed the political and electoral systems in the country, and had a direct impact on the status of freed persons.
citizenship; elections; working class
