Abolition of Slavery in Argentina

The first anti-slavery measurements were taken during the war against Spanish Colonialism in the early 1800s. New laws were put into power that promised more freedom to Afro-Argentines and limited further import and trade of African slaves in Argentina (Andrews 47). February 3, 1813, marks the day when the “Ley de libertad de vientres”/”Laws of freedom by the womb” became enforced, which said that every child born by an Argentine slave after the January 31, 1813, was to hold the status of a liberto (Rout 185). Additionally, from February 5, 1813, the importation of additional slaves to Argentina was prohibited and thereby declared illegal (185). In spite of these laws and restrictions, import and trade of African slaves still continued (186f.).

In 1824 Anti-slave trade laws were renewed and within the next decade Argentina signed several treaties with Great Britain obliging both countries to restrain their citizens from participating in the trade of African slaves (186f.). The recently created status of the liberto had promised a certain freedom to the children of slaves – a promise that was not held. Instead of living in freedom liberto children had to work for their mother’s master until their fifteenth birthday without payment, and after that for five more years and for one peso a month (187). When in 1829 Juan Manuel Rosas took office, he declared all laws banning the import of slaves null and import and trade of African slaves continued legally (187).