Freedom of wombs

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Freedom of wombs (Spanish Libertad de vientres) was a juridical principle applied in several countries in South America in the 19th century that gave freedom to the slaves' offspring. It stated that, unlike prior to its sanction, the children of slaves will be granted freedom instead of becoming patrimony of the slaves' owner. It is to be noted though, that countries that used this legal principle fully abolished slavery years later.

At the beginning of the 19th century, ideas of independence from Spanish grew in the American colonies, what brought other liberal ideas such as the abolition of slavery. One of the first steps was the Ley de Libertad de Vientres law dictated by Chilean Manuel de Salas in 1811.^[1]

In Argentina, the Law of Wombs was passed on February 2, 1813 by the Assembly of Year XIII. The law stated that those born after January 31, 1813 would be granted freedom when contracting matrimony, or on their 16th birthday for women and 20th for men, and would be given land and tools to work it.^[2] In 1853, slavery was completelly abolished.

In Peru, president José de San Martín established the freedom of wombs for those born after the declaration of independence (1821).^[3]

In Colombia, the Law of wombs was first passed by the government of Antioquia in 1814, but it was not until 1824 that the country accepted it.^[4]

In Spain (for application mainly in Cuba and Puerto Rico, since the slavery was abolited for the metropolis in 1837), where it is also known as Ley Moret (Moret Law), the law was proposed in 1869 and accepted in 1870, though it was started being used two years later.^[5]

Venezuela endorsed a similar law in 1821,^[6] as well as Ecuador,^[7] Uruguay in 1825,^[8] and Paraguay in 1842.^[9] Finally, one of the last countries to abolish slavery in Latin America was Brazil in 1888.