Lançados

The Lançados (literally the thrown out ones) were settlers and adventurers of Portuguese origin in Senegambia, the Cape Verde Islands, and other areas on the coast of West Africa. Many were Jews, often New Christians, escaping persecution from the Portuguese Inquisition. To gain protection and advantageous trading ties, the Lançados took African wives from local ruling families. They established clandestine trading networks in weaponry, spices, and sometimes slaves, garnering anger from the Portuguese Crown due to its inability to collect taxes.

Although never large in numbers, mixed-race children born to the Lançados and their African wives and concubines served as crucial intermediaries between Europeans and native Africans. These "half-caste traders" wielded significant power in the early development of port economies such as Bissau and Cacheu.

They were the progenitors of the Crioulo language and culture.

Notable Lançados

• Bibiana Vaz (c. 1630 - 1694+)

Source

Mark, Peter (2011). The Forgotten Diaspora: Jewish Communities in West Africa and the Making of the Atlantic World. Cambridge University Press. p. 280. ISBN 0521192862.