Where did many emigrants from Cabo Verde work during the 19th century?

During the 19th century, faced with recurrent drought, famine, and economic hardship, many emigrants from Cabo Verde sought employment abroad to survive.

Common destinations and types of work included:

• Agricultural Labor: Many of the poorest Cabo Verdeans traveled south to work as laborers picking cocoa beans and bananas on the islands of Sao Tome and Principe.31
• Maritime Work: Others found employment as seamen on whaling ships.231

These patterns of migration became the norm for the population as the islands' prosperity declined following the waning of the slave trade and the loss of port activity after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.31