The Charter of 1818 was the only document, until 1853, that mentioned a period of service. All laws and regulations after this Charter stated that liberated Africans were to serve and work under guardianship, but for how long was not stated. Only in 1853 was it again stated that the term was 14 years. However, the Charter of 1818 was very clear on one point: liberated Africans should be treated in such a way that their physical integrity and their right to freedom were respected ${ }^{2}$. This understanding of the law is key to understanding the judicial procedure that Miquelina and her representative followed in applying to the Ministry of Justice to secure her freedom.  
It is not known when Miquelina arrived in Brazil, though she was registered as 'a Liberated African of those who were by the Charter valid as a Law of 26 January 1818 and the Law of 7 April 1831', ${ }^{3}$ and was described as belonging to the Congo nation, which establishes that she came from western Central Africa. The lack of further details, however, does not prevent one from appreciating how she managed her quest for emancipation and how she used the experience she acquired during her years of service to understand the judicial system and use it in her favour.