Congo
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Chico Rei
Kingdom of Kongo, Congo
Archival Overview
African monarch (Galanga) captured into slavery in Minas Gerais who hid gold dust in his hair to purchase his own freedom, bought the richest gold mine in Ouro Preto (Encardideira), and purchased the freedom of hundreds of his enslaved countryfolk.
Biographical Record
Born Galanga, a sovereign king in the Congo or Benin, he was captured alongside his family and transported aboard a slave ship where his wife and children perished. Sold to an owner in the gold boomtown of Vila Rica (Ouro Preto), he was forced to labor in the subterranean gold mines under the name Chico.
Appointed foreman for his intelligence, Chico and his fellow enslaved miners secretly concealed gold flakes in their hair and under fingernails, washing the gold into secret basins at night. Chico purchased his freedom, then his surviving son's freedom, and finally purchased the exhausted Encardideira gold mine, discovering vast hidden veins that allowed him to emancipate hundreds of slaves.
Key Life Milestones
Purchase of the Encardideira Gold Mine
Acquired ownership of the gold mine, transforming it into an autonomous cooperative of liberated African laborers.
Construction of the Church of Santa Efigenia
Built the magnificent baroque church on the hill of Ouro Preto, celebrating Saint Ephigenia of Ethiopia.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialOuro Preto (Minas Gerais), Brazil