Category: News

Summary

The inscription of information in digital environments presents a range of factors that warrant consideration, including the establishment of distinct forms of access regarding archival sources. Nevertheless, there is still considerable scope for improvement in the accessibility of historical archives. The transition from paradigms of scarcity and difficulty in accessing colonial sources, whether due to displacement, neglect, or destruction, is still hindered by various constraints that influence the management and study of collections. This paper, which stems from the ArchLabour research project (ERC-funded), examines the current state of archival source mapping for the study of Portuguese public works in Africa (Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde). The recent collaborative project between the National Archives of the Ministry of Culture of Cape Verde, the Portuguese Overseas Historical Archives and the Portuguese National Archives of Torre do Tombo through the project, entitled “RESGATE”, enabled the recovery of Cape Verde’s documentary collections at the Portuguese Overseas Historical Archive in Lisbon. This joint venture permitted the digitisation and online dissemination of the documentary output of the Portuguese Administration in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, covering the period from 1602 to 1834. It is our contention that these collaborations are pivotal to historical studies, facilitating historical research, archival management and community engagement regarding shared heritage.

Summary

At the Portuguese Colonial Congress of 1924, Francisco Mantero presented a thesis on indigenous labour in the African colonies, with a detailed analysis of the socio-economic conditions prevailing in each overseas province. In the context of labour, Mantero highlighted the exemplary nature of the legislation protecting workers in overseas territories. He further identified alcoholism and infectious diseases, including smallpox, syphilis and sleeping sickness, as the primary challenges facing overseas labour. This is the thesis of a prominent and esteemed businessman whose economic interests and business relevance, particularly in São Tomé and Príncipe, earned him the attention and credibility of public opinion. However, theses have purposes, obey structure and method and are prone to objection. As such, and regarding indigenous labour – despite being in a working-class context instead of a rural one – its intersection with the recruitment process of coolies for construction work on the Benguela railway, may offer a suitable point of comparison to the conditions under which indigenous labourers were employed. This indicates the potential for discerning similarities and differences between the two cases. Moreover, I intend to examine arguments that diverge from these perspectives, similar to Mantero’s, which were deeply entrenched in public opinion at the time. In light of the evidence gathered from the legal framework of the Benguela Railway and its archival records concerning labour, I intend to discuss this process, pointing out that the premise of Mantero was not entirely accurate – rather than being enemies, the subjects in question were, more accurately, the effects of several other factors. Furthermore, the movement of Chinese and Indian labourers facilitated a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon that fed servitude in the contemporary period. The term ‘coolie’ was applied to Chinese and Indian labourers mobilised to perform in the colonial possessions, initially at plantations but extending to broad tasks due to labour shortage. The Benguela Railway, Angola’s largest railway line during the colonial period, required a significant workforce comprising individuals from diverse backgrounds and engaged in a range of skilled trades. It provides an invaluable opportunity to examine the concepts of servitude, oppression and rebellion in depth. The research developed within the scope of the ArchWar project (the study of violence and control through housing and architecture during colonialism, ref. PTDC/ART-DAQ/0592/2020) along with the archival management carried out at the Historic Overseas Archive in Lisbon on the Benguela Railway, and the follow-up during the ArchLabour project entitled “Architecture, Colonialism and Labour. The role and legacy of mass labour in the design, planning and construction of public works in former African territories under Portuguese colonial rule” (ERC-funded ref: 101096606) allows to discuss the impact of the construction and development of this colonial infrastructure on the Portuguese colonial project which would be incomplete without an investigation into recruitment practices.

Summary

The Benguela Railway serves as a key example to study legal transplantation and reception in colonial territory, exploring the intersection of architectural and legal history. The aim of this paper is to survey the legal framework, texts and legal documents that influenced the planning and construction of Angola’s largest railway line. In accordance with Cecil Rhodes’ ideal of a “C to C” connection between Africa’s Cape and Cairo, this line crosses Angola from west to east and is the country’s largest and most important railway line. Its construction lasted until 1930, after the first technical studies were drawn up in 1876. Initially, the line was intended to transport 40,000 tonnes of copper a year from Katanga, thanks to a concession granted by King Leopold to the company Tanganyika Concessions Ltd, founded on 20 January 1899 by Robert Williams, an associate of Cecil Rhodes. However, this enterprise initial plans suffered adjustments; it developed its activities in an extension of over 1300 km, extending itself to the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico up to the municipality of Luau. In order to understand the ideals and adaptations of this transport network, it is necessary to study in depth the legal regulation of several topics, such as scientific studies, construction projects, periods and contracts, concessions, demarcations, land disputes and exploitation, which we intend to do in context. It is not only about collecting normative developments, but understanding their extent in historical archives, which can show intersections between original projects and actual events. The research developed within the scope of the ArchWar project (the study of violence and control through housing and architecture during colonialism, ref. PTDC/ART-DAQ/0592/2020) along with the archival management carried out at the Historic Overseas Archive in Lisbon on the Benguela Railway, will allow to unravel the impact of this colonial infrastructure on the Portuguese colonial project, taking into account both landscapes – the archival and the legal framework.