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👑 The First Quilombo and the Strength of Zumbi (B1-B2)

The Black Consciousness Day celebrates Zumbi dos Palmares, one of the greatest leaders in Afro-Brazilian history. He wasn't the first to fight against slavery, but his quilombo (runaway slave settlement) was, undoubtedly, the largest and most enduring symbol of resistance in Colonial Brazil.

Historical depiction of the Quilombo dos Palmares settlement. The image features a fortified village with simple huts in a forest, symbolizing the largest runaway slave resistance community led by Zumbi dos Palmares.

Quilombo of Palmares, located in the Serra da Barriga region (now Alagoas), was not just a hideout, but a true nation, or Confederation of quilombos. It housed over 20,000 people — escaped slaves, indigenous people, and poor Europeans — which made it larger than many colonial cities of the time.


Zumbi, the most famous leader, was born free in Palmares around 1655. He was known for his incredible military intelligence and his ability to unite the quilombolas (residents of a quilombo) against the attacks of the Portuguese crown. His fight for freedom and self-determination transformed him into the greatest icon of black resistance in Brazil. The date of his death, November 20, 1695, is what marks the National Black Consciousness Day.



⁉️ Comprehension and Vocabulary Exercise (B1-B2)


  1. What date marks Black Consciousness Day?

    • a) May 13th

    • b) September 7th

    • c) November 20th

    • d) November 15th

  2. What was the main characteristic of Palmares?

    • a) Being the only capital of the colony.

    • b) Being the largest and most enduring symbol of quilombola resistance.

    • c) Being a European city.

    • d) Being a large slave port.

  3. What does the phrase "larger than many colonial cities" suggest about Palmares?

    • a) That it was an uninhabited place.

    • b) That it was a populated and organized community.

    • c) That it was a small village.

    • d) That it only housed Portuguese people.

  4. The word 'incredible' in the context of Zumbi's intelligence is an adjective meaning:

    • a) Weak and limited.

    • b) Extraordinary, surprising.

    • c) Common and expected.

    • d) Simply bad.

  5. Zumbi became the greatest icon of which ideal?

    • a) Submission to the empire.

    • b) Expansion of trade.

    • c) Black resistance and freedom in Brazil.

    • d) Life in Portugal.






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Answer Key: 1) c; 2) b; 3) b; 4) b; 5) c

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