Maria do Carmo Gerônimo

Maria do Carmo Gerônimo
Born c. 1871
Brazil
Died June 15, 2000(2000-06-15)
Brazil
Height 4 ft 0 in (122 cm)

Maria do Carmo Gerônimo (March 5, 1871 – June 15, 2000) claimed to have been the last Brazilian slave. Born in Brazil at the claimed date of March 5, 1871, she died on June 14, 2000 at the claimed but unverified age of 129 years and 102 days.

Age claim

Though her age was never validated, Maria do Carmo was popular in the press in the 1990s. She was often shown with Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment ("Women in the 120s") or at Carnival. In August 1997, she was featured in Time Magazine following the death of Calment (listing potential claimants to the 'world's oldest person' title).

Historical claim

Historians note that even though Brazil didn't abolish slavery until 1888, a law passed in June 1871 required that children born to slaves henceforward would be free. Thus, it was possible her age was exaggerated to make her 'legal' as a slave. On the other hand, Maria claimed to still have whip marks on her back, and slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888—when she would have been 17 years old, if born in 1871. Proponents of her claim point out that if she had been much younger, she wouldn't have been whipped.

See also

References

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