Afro-Colombian facts for kids

An Afro-Colombian boy attending school in Colombia.

Afro-Colombians are people who live in the country of Colombia. They have ancestors who came from Africa. Many people in Colombia today have African heritage.

History of Afro-Colombians

Spanish explorers brought many African people to Cartagena in the 1500s. These Africans were forced into slavery. They were brought to replace the indigenous peoples who were dying from hard work in the mines and on farms.

By the year 1600, about 100,000 enslaved people had arrived in Colombia. More enslaved people were brought after 1650. This was because more workers were needed for the gold mines. Life was very hard for enslaved people. However, some were allowed to work for themselves one day a week. They could mine, farm, and sell their goods. The money they earned could sometimes buy their freedom.

Enslaved people fought for their freedom. In the 1500s and 1700s, there were many slave rebellions. Enslaved people formed their own villages in areas not controlled by the Spanish. Slavery was finally abolished in Colombia in 1851.

Images for kids

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  Map of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Cartagena was the largest slave port in Colombia.

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  "A Gold-Washing Technique, Province of Barbacoas" by Manuel María Paz (1853).

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  Afro-Colombian children

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  "Fiesta in Palenque" Traditional African Colombian dance from San Basilio de Palenque, a former enclave, now considered by the UNESCO a Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

See also

In Spanish: Afrocolombiano para niños