The Bahian Conspiracy or Tailors’ Revolt was a popular political movement that occurred in Salvador, Bahia, in 1798.
Its objectives were to separate Bahia from Portugal, abolish slavery and meet the demands of the poorest sections of the population.
It is also known as the “Conspiracy of the Búzios” or “Revolt of the Tailors”, as its main leaders were the tailors João de Deus and Manuel Faustino dos Santos Lira.
The Bahian Conspiracy was composed, for the most part, of slaves, free blacks, poor whites and mixed-race people, who exercised the most diverse professions, such as shoemakers, bricklayers, soldiers, etc.
Influenced by the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution, the Bahian Conspiracy was severely repressed. Its members were arrested and, in 1799, the leaders of the movement were sentenced to death or exile.
Leaders of the Bahian Conspiracy
In addition to the leadership exercised by the tailors, the movement was also led by soldiers Luís Gonzaga das Virgens and Lucas Dantas.
Freemasonry exerted a strong influence on the conspiracy, as the political ideals of the French Revolution also reached Brazil through this group.
The first Masonic lodge created in Bahia, Cavaleiros da Luz, had the participation of several intellectuals who were involved in the conspiracy.
They are: José da Silva Lisboa, future Viscount of Cairu; the surgeon Cipriano Barata, the “doctor of the poor”; the pharmacist João Ladislau de Figueiredo; the priest Francisco Gomes; the Latin teacher Francisco Barreto and the lieutenant Hermógenes Pantoja, who met to read Voltaire, translate Rousseau and organize the conspiracy.
Historical context of the Bahian Conspiracy
Likewise, the movement led by the freed black man Toussaint Louverture, in Haiti, against the French colonizers had repercussions in Bahia – the first major successful uprising of slaves in history.
Another cause that led to the revolt was the fact that the population of the city of Salvador was in a situation of poverty, after the capital of colonial Brazil was transferred to Rio de Janeiro, in 1763. The need to found a Democratic Republic in Bahia was affirmed, where there would be no social differences and where everyone would be equal.
On August 12, 1798, the city of Salvador woke up covered in handwritten papers nailed to the walls of churches. The pamphlets called the population to fight and proclaimed ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and the Republic.
One of the main sayings was:
Cheer up, people of Bahia, for the happy time of our Freedom is about to arrive: the time when we will all be brothers, the time when we will all be equal.
End of the Bahian Conspiracy
The distribution of leaflets with slogans prompted the authorities to act quickly and suppress the demonstration. Some members were arrested and forced to inform on the rest of the participants.
The governor of Bahia, Fernando José de Portugal e Castro, learned through a complaint made by Carlos Baltasar da Silveira that the conspirators would meet at Campo de Dique on August 25th.
The government acted quickly and Colonel Teotônio de Souza was tasked with catching them in the act. As the government troops approached, some managed to escape.
Once the rebellion was suppressed, arrests followed one after the other and the movement was dismantled. 49 people were arrested, of whom three were women, nine were slaves and other free men who worked as tailors, barbers, soldiers, embroiderers and small traders.
The main people involved were tried and sentenced to death. On November 8, 1799, one year and two months after the events, the accused were found guilty of treason.
In this way, they received the death penalty by hanging and then quartered: Luís Gonzaga das Virgens, Lucas Dantas, João de Deus and Manuel Faustino dos Santos Lira. Their bodies were displayed in various places in the city of Salvador to serve as an example to potential subversives.
The intellectuals and members of the Freemasons who participated in the conspiracy received lighter sentences or were acquitted.
Despite its terrible outcome, the Bahian Conspiracy influenced other movements such as independence (1822), the Malês Revolt (1835) and the abolition of slavery (1888).
