Capitão Luciano Gomes Ribeiro. A elite escravista era parda (N. S. do Pilar do Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, c. 1770-1810)

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ABSTRACT This article focuses on the parish of N. S. do Pilar do Iguaçu, situated in the Recôncavo area of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, during the period from 1770 to 1810. It examines how Luciano Gomes Ribeiro, a mestizo freedman, ascended to become the owner of a mill along with 155 slaves, thereby integrating into the slave-owning elite. This case study reveals that the slave-owning elite included individuals of mixed ancestry. Additionally, the analysis highlights that Ribeiro governed lands where farmers, who typically owned slaves, resided. The family background of Ribeiro, serving as a captain of troops and an auxiliary to freed mestizo individuals, enabled him to manage both his household and the political community of Pilar do Iguaçu effectively. He emerged as the most prominent figure in a society deeply entrenched in the inequalities characteristic of the old-regime slavery system. The methodology for this study encompassed an examination of parish baptism and death records, alongside various wills and administrative documents.