“T<scp>hey</scp> H<scp>ave</scp> B<scp>een</scp> U<scp>nited</scp> A<scp>s</scp> S<scp>isters</scp>”: <i>Women Leaders and Political Power in Black Lay Confraternities of Colonial Lima</i>

Abstract In Lima in the seventeenth century, both free and enslaved black women held elected leadership roles confraternities (corporate bodies of lay Catholics). These occupied a public position generally reserved for men; their Spanish indigenous counterparts did not hold comparable roles. Though experiences have been documented scholarly literature, they were highly visible own lifetimes. ecclesiastical court, acted as confraternity's legal agents. everyday operations, primarily responsible collecting managing funds. This gave them large say how money ought to be spent, whether on festivals, members’ funerals, medical aid, or financial support imprisoned members. limeños made up majority city's population, other forms mutual aid often inaccessible them. Confraternity leaders general, these particular, managed one community's only officially recognized spaces civic organization. As century wore on, men successfully challenged women's authority militia officers became more central leadership. Yet even with that curtailment, positions degree publicly acknowledged power unusual early modern women.