Shana Melnysyn

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

 

After the humiliation of the Berlin Conference (1885) and the British Ultimatum (1890), Portugal's disadvantaged position relative to other European imperial powers was solidified as the country lost African territory to its more powerful neighbors. As the twentieth century dawned, Portugal struggled to gain control of its most lucrative colony - Angola. A vast territory with difficult terrain and rebellious locals, much of Angola was still largely under the control of traditional African authorities, which continued to control trade and travel in Angola’s hinterland and did not readily submit to Portuguese authority. Using the 1902 Bailundo Rebellion as a case study, I analyze the precarious position of Portugal in Africa and begin to outline some ways in which this reality unfolded at the local level among individuals and social groups. Using evidence collected in archives in the United States, Portugal, and Angola, as well as oral histories from Angola, I discuss how the Rebellion unfolded, who were the key players, and what were some of its consequences at the local level.