Felipa Maria Aranha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felipa Maria Aranha
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|---|---|
| Leader of the Mola quilombo | |
| In office ? - c. 1780 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1720 Gold Coast, Guinea |
| Died | c. 1780 Brazil |
| Occupation | Rebel leader |
Felipa Maria Aranha (around 1720 – around 1780) was a brave leader in Brazil. She led a community called a quilombo in a place called Mola. A quilombo was a settlement created by people who had escaped slavery.
Felipa was born in Guinea and was forced into slavery as a child. She managed to escape and became a strong leader. Her leadership helped her community stand up against slave owners and Portuguese soldiers. Today, people in Brazil remember her as an inspiring figure.
Her Life Story
Felipa Maria Aranha was likely born in the Gold Coast region of what is now Guinea. This was probably between 1720 and 1730. She was enslaved when she was a child, around 1740. It is thought she was sold in a market in Pará, Brazil. We do not know who bought her.
Felipa was sent to Cametá. There, she was forced to work on a sugarcane farm. We do not know how she escaped. But she did, along with hundreds of others. They formed one of the biggest and best-organized quilombos in Brazil. This community was at Mola, near the Itapocu River.
The Mola quilombo had about 300 people who had escaped slavery. It was very well organized, like a small country. Felipa Maria Aranha was the first leader of this community. Another important leader was Maria Luiza Piriá. The group was run like a republic, where people voted on decisions.
Over time, the Mola quilombo grew. It joined with four other similar settlements nearby. Together, they were known as the "Confederação do Itapocu." This showed how strong and united they were.
Why She Is Remembered
Historians see the Mola quilombo as a great example of how people resisted slavery. Felipa Maria Aranha herself is seen as a very inspiring leader. Many people today also view her as a role model for women. She showed great strength and courage.
Her Legacy
In 2017, a poet named Jarid Arraes wrote a short book about Felipa's life. In 2020, an online art show honored her. It was called Exposicao Heroinas com Moldura. This show celebrated the lives of important Black women from Latin America and the Caribbean. Felipa Maria Aranha was featured in it.
