Chica da Silva facts for kids

Francisca da Silva de Oliveira (born around 1732, died 1796), known as Chica da Silva, was a Brazilian woman who became famous for gaining wealth and power even though she was born into slavery. Her life story has inspired many works, including television shows, films, music, theater plays, and literature. She is often called the slave who became a queen. The stories about Chica da Silva sometimes mix up the real history of Francisca da Silva de Oliveira with more romanticized versions.

Chica's Early Life and Freedom

Francisca da Silva de Oliveira was a mixed-race woman born in Vila do Príncipe (now called Serro) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 1730 and 1735. This area had many enslaved people, far more than white people. Most people in the town worked in gold or diamond mining. Francisca lived mainly in Arraial do Tijuco (now known as Diamantina). Her father was a Portuguese man named Antônio Caetano de Sá, and her mother, Maria da Costa, was an enslaved African woman, likely from the Gulf of Guinea or Bahia.

When she was enslaved, Francisca was known as "Francisca parda." Her first owner was Domingos da Costa. Later, she was sold to Sergeant Manuel Pires Sardinha, and they had a son named Simão Pires Sardinha. Even though Simão was listed as one of Sardinha's heirs, Sardinha never officially said he was Simão's father. Francisca's third owner was João Fernandes de Oliveira. He was a very rich diamond mine owner and the mining Governor of Arraial do Tijuco in Colonial Brazil.

Francisca was granted her freedom around 1753. Some sources say she was freed by a José da Silva de Oliveira at João Fernandes's request, while others say João Fernandes freed her directly when he bought her. After becoming free, Chica officially changed her name to Francisca da Silva de Oliveira. This helped her son Simão Pires Sardinha later in life, as he could hide his mother's past as an enslaved person and his status as a son born outside of marriage. This allowed him to receive a special Portuguese title: knight of the Order of Christ.

Life with João Fernandes

Francisca and João Fernandes soon started a relationship. They lived together for many years, even though they were not officially married, and had 13 children. Their children were: Francisca de Paula (born 1755); João Fernandes (1756); Rita (1757); Joaquim (1759); Antonio Caetano (1761); Ana (1762); Helena (1763); Luiza (1764); Antônia (1765); Maria (1766); Quitéria Rita (1767); Mariana (1769); and José Agostinho Fernandes (1770).

Chica became an independent owner of a house in Tejuco on Opera Street. Her house was very fancy for the time, with a large garden, her own private chapel, and rare furniture like bathtubs, mirrors, and canopy beds. Chica also owned many slaves who worked in her house and in the mines. She dressed in a very showy way to stand out from other mixed-race people in society. People often showed their importance through their belongings, and for Chica, this included her clothes, home, slaves, and even her changed name. By the end of her life, she also added "Dona" to her name, which was a more prestigious title.

In 1770, João Fernandes had to go back to Portugal. He took four of their sons with him, along with Chica's two other sons, Placid Pires Sardinha and Simão Pires Sardinha. These sons were given noble titles by the Portuguese court. Their daughters stayed with Chica in Brazil and were sent to the famous Convent of Macaúbas. Even after João left, Chica kept her high social standing. She was a member of several important brotherhoods: the São Francisco do Carmo Brotherhood (only for whites), the Mercês Brotherhood (for mulattos), and the Rosário Brotherhood (for Africans).

Chica da Silva died in 1796. She was buried at the Church of São Francisco de Assis, a special privilege usually only given to wealthy white people.

Women in Colonial Brazil

In Brazil during the 1700s, most Portuguese colonizers and enslaved people were men. Portuguese women were often not allowed to move to Brazil. There were many stereotypes about non-white women during this time. Even though being a Black woman often meant facing many disadvantages, some individuals, like Chica, were able to change their social position and gain power. Once they became socially mobile, these women were sometimes seen as even more powerful than their former masters.

The Story of Chica da Silva

Chica's story was sometimes used to represent Brazil's idea of a "racial democracy," which suggested that everyone had equal opportunities regardless of race. However, today, experts believe that she used her connections to gain a higher social status, just like other African Brazilians did at that time. Historian Júnia Ferreira Furtado suggests that relationships and marriages between white men and Black women in colonial Brazil were a way for enslaved people to improve their social standing.

Being freed from slavery was not always about creating a positive Black identity. Instead, it was often the start of accepting the values of the powerful elite. This was a way for former slaves and their children to fit into society.

The relationship between João Fernandes and Chica da Silva was unusual in colonial Brazilian society. Chica da Silva, who had been enslaved, became one of the most powerful women in colonial America. She was not allowed in the main parish church, which was only for white people. To show Chica's power, João Fernandes built a fancy church that only she attended. However, Chica also joined brotherhoods that were only for white people. This was a way for her to try to fit in and understand how society worked, especially any plans against her and her community.

Contrary to some popular stories, Chica also owned slaves. She is only known to have freed one of them. Historians see this as a key difference between the experiences of Africans in Brazil and those in the United States. In the US, African-American former slaves often had a more unified movement. In Brazil, however, many tried to fit into white society. Mixed-race people often saw "whitening" themselves (meaning trying to appear more white or adopt white customs) as a way to escape their past as enslaved people. The Portuguese way of thinking about race was often more accepting than the Anglo-Saxon (English) way in the US, especially when it came to their mixed-race children. While Anglo-Saxon slave owners often kept their own mixed-race children enslaved and sold them for profit, Portuguese-Brazilians generally freed their mixed-race children and sometimes even gave them noble titles. This might have happened because fewer Portuguese women moved to Brazil.

Chica, like other freed enslaved women, gained her freedom, found love, had children, and helped them rise in society. She tried to reduce the negative impact that being "Parda" (mixed-race) and a former slave had on herself and her children.

Works Inspired by Chica da Silva

• Xica da Silva (movie): A film released in 1976, directed by Cacá Diegues, starring Zezé Motta as Chica da Silva.
• Xica da Silva (telenovela): A telenovela (soap opera) released in 1996, written by Walcyr Carrasco. It was very popular in many countries. The actress Taís Araújo, who played Xica da Silva, was the first Black Brazilian to be the main character in a soap opera. She is still the only Black actress to be the main character in a telenovela in Brazilian TV history. She also played a main character again in Rede Globo's Da Cor do Pecado.
• Xica da Silva, a song by Jorge Ben from his 1976 album África Brasil.
• Chica da Silva, a song by Boney M. from their 1985 album Eye Dance.

See also

In Spanish: Chica da Silva para niños