E m ig r a tio nfr o m
th eP o r t u g u e s e Isla n d s
i nth eS e c o n d H alfo f th eN in e te e n th
C entury:T he C aseo f M adeira
A L B E R T O V IE IR A
D u rin gt h e la tte r h a lfo fth en in e te e n thc e n t u r y th e e c o n o m ie s a n d
s o c ia l s tru c tu re so fm any A tlan ticis la n d s o c ie tie s underw entas e r ie s
o ftr a n sfo r m a tio n s.I tw as d u r in gth isp e r io d th a t im p o rta n t d e m o -
g r a p h ic c h a n g e s to o kp la c e . R isin g p o p u la tio n sa n dd e p r e s s e d is la n d
economiesr e s u l t e di na s t r o n g m igratory m o v e m e n t. T h isw a s stim -
u la te db yth e e c o n o m ics itu a tio ni n th e d e s tin a tio n so f th e e m ig ra n ts
-
th eA m ericas.W h ileth eis la n d s s u f f e r e d fm m
a ne c o n o m icr e c e s -
sion,o nth eo th e rs id eo fth eA tla n tic th e r e w e re b o o m
tim es. T he
a b o litio no f s la v e ry , w h ic hh a d
p re v io u slyp ro v id e dth e w o rk fo rc e ,
c r e a te dad e m a n dfo r la b u r in m in in g , a g ric u ltu re a n din d u s t r y . T he
n a tiv eo ft h eP o rtu g u e s ei s l a n d s ,cu to f f from the la n db yin h e r ita n c e
la w so r e c o n o m ic c o n s tra in ts , u n a b le tofin dw o r ka n d e n tic e db y th e
g litte rin gp r o m i s e s o f th e e m ig ra tio na g e n ts ,a b a n d o n e dh is ow n la n d
a n dh e a d e dfo rn e w
d e s tin a tio n s , to b e c o m easu b stitu tefo rs l a v e s .
T hetreatm ent accorded to th e em igrantsc a u s e d m any analystsa n d
p o litic ia n so f th e tim et od e s c r i b e th is r e c r u itm e n to fworkersa s w h ite
s la v e ry .H ow ever,n o m easuresw eree v e r ta k e no n t h e is la n d st os to p
th isflo wo fpeople.T he sporadic attem ptso n th e parto f locala u th o r -
itie st oe n c o u r a g eth e p e o p let os t a y p ro v e din e ffe c tiv e .S oth e e m ig ra -
tio nc o n t i n u e du n a b a te du n til th e daw no fth e tw e n tie thc e n tu ry . O n ly
th ed e s tin a tio n sc h a n g e d .
ls la n dE m ig r a tio n
M ig r a tio n m adea n in d e lib le m arko nis la n dp o p u la tio n s , w h ic h h a d
th e m s e lv e sb e e n th e r e s u ltofs o c i a la n d e c o n o m ic tra n s m ig ra tio n ;n o w
th e yin tu rn p ro v id e d e m ig ra n tst ofo rmo th e r A tlan tic so c ie tie s. D u e
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