Pata Seca was a man born in Sorocaba, São Paulo in the 19th century. During this time, Brazil heavily relied on slave labor for industries such as sugar and coffee production. Pata Seca's experience as an enslaved man who was forced to father children as a "breeding slave" is a tragic and legendary part of history.

Pata Seca: The man who produced more than 200 Children

He married woman named Palmira


Pata Seca was a tall man at 7’2”, was the perfect candidate to play the role of a breeder. He was assigned to mate with female slaves in order to produce offspring with desirable genetic traits for labor. Though the exact number of women he had relations with is unknown, it's believed he fathered more than 200 children.

Pata Seca succeeded in fathering many offspring for his owner, was treated well and given special benefits. When slavery ended in Brazil in 1888, he was even gifted a piece of land by his former master. After gaining freedom, Pata Seca married Palmira and together they had nine children, establishing their own loving family.

After that, Pata Seca ran his farm where he produced and sold rapadura. Unfortunately, a tragic incident occurred when he stepped on a nail which led to tetanus, despite efforts from a local healer. Sadly, Pata Seca eventually succumbed to the illness at an advanced age of 130 in February 1958.

Many believes his story is not true


Pata Seca's life story has stirred up a lot of discussion about its truthfulness. Since there is no concrete evidence, some parts of his story are considered more like myths or stories passed down through generations. The claims about him having hundreds of children seem exaggerated as does the reported age of 130 years old which is much older than what was typical for people in the 19th century.

The little information we have suggests that a man named Roque José Florêncio was an enslaved individual who lived on a plantation near Santa Eudóxia and had children. Despite the lack of detailed records, it is clear that Pata Seca was a real person who suffered under Brazil's harsh slavery regime. Over time, his story transformed into that of a larger-than-life folk hero, but it is important to remember the tragic history that inspired his legend.