Is it true that Black slaves accounted for 10% of Lisbon's population in the 18th century?

        Before discussing whether the claim stating that Lisbon’s population was comprised of 10% of Black slaves in the past is true or not, I will run quick internet search. If one were to google “Lisbon population 10% Black slaves”, one would find that a great deal of the results pertain to websites of pan-African/Black supremacist obedience websites, and also some Nordic White supremacist forums. This alone tells you this is a controversial topic one should be eager to read about but slow to believe.

Portugal, as a leading force in maritime discoveries and the Atlantic trade, was long involved in Black slave trade, no question about that. Some source claim that in 1550 Lisbon was home to approximately 10,000 Black slaves. The existence of Black slaves in Europe is nothing new. A Black slave market existed in Lisbon. There was even a Black neighborhood Mocambo. Some sources also report that a pit burial existed for Black to prevent their corpse to rot in the city Rua do Poço dos Negros thereafter

Blacks enslaved in Europe wasn’t only a Portuguese affair. In the Renaissance days, many aristocrats across Europe owned African slave. There is the story of a French countess whose name I can’t recall who had a few slaves working for her. At one point, the countess became pregnant and 9 months later gave birth to what looked like a mulatto baby. When people started questioning the newborn’s unusually dark completion and Negroid features, it was explained to them that the countess’s immoderate love for chocolate was the reason for the child’s dark completion.

However, in Lisbon’s case the numbers claimed are particularly high. 10,000 Blacks is way too important number for them not leave a mark on local demographics. What is this claim backed up with? One of the main evidence advanced to support the claim is this painting.

This piece, supposed to have been painted in the 16th century by an unknown Dutch artist, depicts a waterfront area of Lisbon pre-dating the earthquake where many people congregate including many Black slaves, and even what looks to be a Black nobleman riding a horse on the right side. This painting could the argument irremediably proving not only that the Black population was indeed important in Lisbon in the 16th century, but also that social mobility was possible for people of color. However, this painting is most likely a hoax. Its author is unknown, it suddenly appeared in England in the 19th century, and the paint is pretty much intact which wouldn’t be compatible with a nearly 500 years-old painting.

As a conclusion, while there is no doubt African slaves existed in Lisbon as well in many other European cities, the claim that they accounted for 10% of the population is still to be unequivocally proven. In fact, up until the 70’s, Blacks were a rarity in Lisbon and non-existent in other areas of the country. In fact, except for those who had traveled to the colonies most Portuguese had never seen a black person. Now it seems that this “10% theory” is used by many partisan-minded people trying to push their agenda. Some will use it as attempt at proving that Portuguese people have Sub-Saharian ancestry and are “less White than real Whites”. For others it comes in handy to prove that Black Africans are everyone’s ancestors. Some others may mean well and rely on it to advocate for racial equality. While it is a legit fight, none should invent historical facts just to prove their point no matter how valid the point is.