On may 13th 1888 was the Lei Áurea, or golden law in English adopted in Brazil. This law officially abolished slavery and the law was signed into effect by Princess Isabel. Slavery was abolished for several reason, foremost due to ethical reasons, but also because slavery was not longer profitable in Brazil. European immigrants could do the same job as the former slaves for a lower cost. The import of new slaves had also slowed down significantly due to Brazil being the last western country to abolish slavery. Although slavery became prohibited with this law, did the life of the slaves not improve much as most of them were without any kind of education or political representation. The adoption of the Lei Áurea and the following uproar among the former slave owners contributed heavily to the fall of the monarchy in Brazil the following year.
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