In arms and on slides: slavery-related interests in the dissemination of smallpox vaccine in Brazil and Angola, 1804-1810.

This article discusses the intersections between vaccination and slavery in colonial Brazil, highlighting the arrival of the smallpox vaccine in Bahia and its spread to other regions of the Portuguese Empire including its holdings in Africa. We highlight the story of enslaved boys, who were primarily inoculated and vaccinated between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, through analysis of bibliographical and documentary sources that illustrate the actions of historical figures such as Felisberto Caldeira Brant, Francisco da Cunha Menezes and Francisco Ignácio Sequeira Nobre. These activities reveal the initiative of slave owners in the search for solutions against smallpox, highlighting the complex relationships between slavery, science and health.