The Story Of Pata Seca: The Exploitation of Enslaved Bodies

Pata Seca was a man enslaved in Brazil, selected and forced to serve as a breeder due to his physical traits and obedience. Standing at 2.18 meters tall, he was considered an ideal genetic specimen by his enslavers. Intelligent and compliant, he was purchased specifically for the purpose of fathering children to create a stronger labor force.

His sole duty was to impregnate enslaved women, and because of his success in doing so, he received favorable treatment. Unlike most enslaved individuals, Pata Seca did not perform manual labor. Instead, he was regularly examined for diseases and ensured to be well-fed, as his role was crucial to his owners’ goals. His reputation as a breeder led him to be rented out to other slave owners, and over the years, he fathered more than 200 children. These children, inheriting his physical strength and intellect, were also condemned to live their lives as slaves.

When slavery was finally abolished in Brazil in 1888, Pata Seca was granted a plot of land by his former master. In his later years, he found love and went on to have nine children with his wife, starting a new chapter after the horrors of his forced existence.