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ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Enslaved revolt in Mecia Alves 1574

Synopsis
The enslaved revolt of Mécia Alves plantation, also known as the Angolares revolt, which occurred on an uncertain date during the first half of 1574, is part of a long series of uprisings taking place during the sixteenth century in São Tomé. Again, this revolt had a social and political nature. Two different groups were at the core of the revolt, even if the inhabitants of the northern part of the island did not perceive it that way: the so-called ‘Angolares’ (as the runaway slaves were called on the island), and the enslaved workers of the plantation Mécia Alves. The former, equipped with bows and arrows, were joined by the latter in a raid to the northern part of the island that burned and destroyed plantations, sugar mills, houses, and stores. Evidence regarding the details of this revolt (precise dates, duration, number of participants, etc.) is scarce, but the literature mentions that the rebels also attacked the fortress of S. Sebastião in the city of São Tomé, then under construction. While the revolt can be paired with others occurring during the first hundred years of São Tomé’s colonization, most authors also stress that it symbolically inaugurated the political and economic decline of the island over the next century. It also marks the beginning of the war against the Angolares – the 'guerra dos matos' or war of the bush – which would only end in the late 17th century with the capture and enslavement of virtually all individuals from this group.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: Unknown. Name in sources: Revolta dos angolares. Location: Sao Tome Island Country (current): STP. Monarchy: Portuguese. Main participants: Africans, Enslaved. Number of participants: unknown. Main reasons & motivations: Freedom, Labour. Leadership: Unknown. Relevance: low.

Further reading
CALDEIRA, A. M. (2017). “A guerra do mato. Resistência à escravatura e repressão dos fugitivos na ilha de São Tomé (séculos XVI-XVIII)”, Povos e Culturas, 20:125-144; GARFIELD, R. (1992). A History of São Tomé Island, 1470-1655. A Key to Guinea. San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press; MATTOS, R. J. da C. (1916 [1842]). Chorographia histórica das ilhas de S. Tomé, Príncipe, Ano Bom e Fernando Pó. Lisbon: Imprensa Nacional.
Cite this entry

Carvalhal, Hélder (2024). "Enslaved revolt in Mecia Alves 1574", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Encyclopaedia of Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. https://mappingrebellions.com/revolt/enslaved-revolt-in-mecia-alves-1574/ (accessed on 12 March 2026).