Lançados
Early Portuguese settlers in West Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Lançados?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The lançados (literally, the thrown out ones[1] or the cast out ones) were settlers and colonizers of Portuguese origin in Senegambia, Cabo Verde, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and other areas on the coast of West Africa. Many were Jews—often New Christians—escaping persecution from the Portuguese Inquisition. Lançados often took African wives from local ruling families, securing protection and advantageous trading ties. They established clandestine trading networks in weaponry, spices, and slaves. This black market angered the Portuguese Crown by disrupting its ability to collect taxes.
Although never large in numbers, mixed-race children born to the lançados and their African wives and concubines served as crucial intermediaries between Europeans and native Africans. These mixed-race people wielded significant power in the early development of port economies in Bissau, Cacheu, and surrounding areas.[2]