Slavery, Resistance and Democracy : Exploring Swiss-Brazilian connections in the 19th century Atlantic world

At first glance, Brazil and Switzerland may seem worlds apart—one a vast, tropical nation in South America, the other a small, landlocked country in the heart of Europe. While Brazil grew into the largest economy based on slavery in the 19th century, neutral Switzerland established itself as one of the first democracies in 1848. Yet, beneath the surface, since the early modern period, both countries have been embedded in a vast web of transatlantic connections that have profoundly shaped both nations. By exploring the underlying webs of economic, political, and cultural networks and exchanges between Brazil and Switzerland, this conference seeks firstly to historicize the apparent contradiction between slavery and democracy in the 19th century and secondly explore its ongoing legacies. It brings together scholars from Brazil, Europe, and the United States who study the history of exchanges in the southern transatlantic world. The conference is part of the SNSF Eccellenza research project on “Moral and Economic Entrepreneurship: A collaborative History of Global Switzerland” directed by Bernhard C. Schär at the University of Lausanne’s Institute for Political Studies.