Maria Filipa de Oliveira was an Afro-Brazilian woman who played a pivotal role in the struggle for Bahia’s independence from Portugal during the Brazilian War of Independence in 1823.
Born on the island of Itaparica off the coast of Bahia, the date of her birth is unknown. She was a freewoman, likely the daughter of an enslaved family of Sudanese descent, and worked as a seafood vendor and laborer. Filipa was known to be a skilled practitioner of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.
In 1822, as tensions escalated between the Portuguese and the Brazilian independence movement, Filipa emerged as a leader of the resistance on Itaparica. She organized a group of around 200 people, primarily Afro-Brazilian and indigenous women, to fortify the island and disrupt the Portuguese invasion efforts.
READ ALSO: The Woman with the World’s Highest Recorded IQ: Marilyn vos Savant
Filipa’s group constructed trenches along the beaches, sent supplies to the inland Recôncavo region, and monitored the coast day and night to prevent the landing of Portuguese troops. They also employed guerrilla tactics, including seducing and attacking Portuguese soldiers, and setting fire to Portuguese ships anchored near the island.
Filipa and her fighters used weapons such as the peixeira, a knife used in the fishmongering trade, and the stinging branches of the cansanção plant, which caused severe skin irritation when used against the Portuguese. Their efforts were instrumental in delaying the Portuguese invasion and contributing to Bahia’s eventual independence on July 2, 1823.
After the war, Filipa continued to live on Itaparica, working as a fisherwoman and capoeira practitioner. She was widely admired by the people of her island and throughout Brazil.
Maria Filipa de Oliveira passed away on July 4, 1873, at the age of 73.
Today, Maria Filipa de Oliveira is celebrated as a symbol of Afro-Brazilian resistance and a heroine of the Brazilian War of Independence. Her story has been largely overlooked in the past, but is now gaining greater recognition and inspiring new generations of Brazilians.