Os cativos em Argel da Marinha Real Portuguesa

: 1799-1812

Abstract

Central subject of the dissertation is the investigation of the captivity experienced by more than three hundred Portuguese seamen captured by algerian corsairs. These men reduced to slavery for about thirteen years were crew members of two warships, the brigantine Lebre Pequeno and the frigate Cisne, defeated and captured, respectively in 1799 and 1802, in west Mediterranean waters. The unexpectedness and singularity of these incidents, mainly the capture of the frigate, induced the attempt to clarify the circumstances and limitations conducting to this failure, which severely affected the prestige of Portugal as a maritime power, and the honor of its Navy. In order to illustrate the environment in which the Portuguese captives found themselves, relevant information about the Algerian society of those times is included. The harsh conditions faced by them, how they managed to survive and interacted with the local society, the competition and conflicts among them, and the way the Portuguese authorities dealt with their situation, are here treated with the thoroughness allowed by the available information. The dissertation ends with an abridged report of the Portuguese diplomatic course of action to ransom its captives and to establish a Peace Treaty with Algiers.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Eva-Maria von Kemnitz (Supervisor)