The history of Capoeira is intimately linked with the history of Brazil. The written information about Capoeira is limited because many important documents were burned or destroyed. In an effort to prevent any "back pedaling" on the Emancipation Proclamation, abolitionists passed the Decree of December 14, 1890 which mandated the burning of all of the historical documents about slavery, including records of entrance, sale, and taxes. Although this did prevent any future differentiation between freedmen and slaves, it purged much of the historical sources about African-Brazilian culture, including Capoeira.
The history of the colonization of Brazil and subsequent slave trafficking is similar to other parts of the New World. Upon arriving in Brazil, the Portuguese met an indigenous population and used them, to learn about medicinal culture, how to cultivate and prepare food, and become familiar with the rivers and terrain. But, as time went on, the Portuguese were in need of laborers to work the land they owned and tried to enslave the Indians. However, many Indians died because of their lack of immunities against European diseases and the brutal work that they were subjected to. In addition, their familiarity with the land associated with a lifestyle free of enslavement made the transition to Indian slavery difficult.

As early as 1500, monopolies began the commercial trading of slaves. Various Portuguese, Spanish, French, English and Dutch companies flooded the West Indies, North America, Venezuela and Columbia, Guineas and Brazil with forced labor. Many Portuguese returned to Portugal, bringing various riches of Brazil with them: wood, gold, sugar, coffee, and valuable skins. These profits financed travel to Angola, the buying of slaves and their shipment to Brazil. This "Golden Triangle" of trade proved very profitable and fueled the expanding Brazilian slave trade.

Upon arrival in Brazil, the most unfortunate Africans were sold to plantation owners and sent inland to work on the fazendas. The labor on these sugar, coffee, cotton and tobacco plantations was extremely physically demanding; a slave in his thirties was considered to be quite old and used up. The more fortunate were sold to be part of a wealthy owner’s household staff in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The labor was far less taxing and sometimes left time for the slave to earn their own money. Some were even able to save enough money to buy themselves from their owners.

The Bantus arrived in Brazil in considerable number; coming in the largest part from Angola, Congo, Banguela, Cabinda, Mossamedes in West Africa, and Mozambique. Brazil was the largest importer of slaves from Africa and continued actively participating in the trade long after other countries stopped. These huge numbers of imported Africans kept the ties to the Motherland fresh. Unlike the slaves in North America, Africans in Brazil were able to maintain some semblance of tribal identity; some even elected chieftains and kings from amongst their midst.

In Bahia, much of the regional folklore is strongly impregnated with Bantu elements as seen in Samba, Capoeira, and Batuque. Although its origins are controversial, many historians believe Capoeira was brought to Brazil by the Bantu people; coming principally from Angola. One theory of Capoeira’s development is that it came from the zebra dance of Angola a religious ritual where dancers entered a roda to dance to an instrument similar to the berimbau and utilized a step similar to the ginga. Another theory states that Capoeira was developed in the senzala (slave quarters) of the fazendas of Bahia; where the many different African cultures mingled to create a new unique form. The most aggressive slaves were often left in manacles which is used to explain Capoeira’s unusual use of feet and the head for delivering deadly blows.

One theory that support a rural origin of Capoeira interprets the word Capoeira to mean "low bush"; escaped slaves went into the bush to hide and create a new system of self defense. Many Capoeira songs refer to the kings of quilombos (illegal settlements of escaped slaves). An urban origin is supported by the translation, "chicken coop". Slaves in Rio de Janeiro were often used as salesmen for their masters’ wares; slaves with chicken cages would often congregate on corners to hawk their poultry. Rio also supported a tradition of singing storytellers who would accompany their songs with the berimbau.

Whatever the origins of Capoeira were, it is clear that it was practiced by slaves who used it for self-defense. Fearful of slave uprisings, the government actively persecuted capoeiristas; making the practice of the art illegal. Capoeira was illegal even after the emancipation proclamation; being associated with gangsters and hoodlums.

These shady origins of capoeira give a practical explanation for the different rhythms of the berimbau; When the master, overseer and later, the military police approached the roda, the capoeiristas were alerted to the danger by the berimbau’s song. The style of play would change to become more dance like or the capoeiristas would rapidly disperse, without saying a word.

Gradually, by the 1930’s, Capoeira gained a certain respectability largely through the efforts of Manuel dos Reis Machado (Mestre Bimba). In 1932 he opened his own school, Centro de Cultura Fisica Regional in Sao Salvador, Bahia, and in 1937 it became the first officially licensed capoeira school. Master Bimba created Capoeira Regional from elements of Capoeira, Batuque, Ju Jitsu and Savate (French foot fighting).

Soon after Bimba opened his academy, Mestre Pastinha followed suit and began teaching Capoeira Angola in an academy setting. Two of his students continue to teach: Joao Pequeno in Sao Salvador, Bahia and Joao Grande in New York City. Though Angola is not as widely practiced as Regional, it has been growing in popularity. Oftentimes angoleiros claim that Angola is the "pure" style of capoeira "untainted" by the innovations of Bimba and his students, however Nestor Capoeira, in an, as yet, untranslated book, claims that Regional and Angola are both equally from the same source; the former emphasizes progressive aspects of capoeira and the latter emphasizes the reactive elements; Angola is Pastinha’s unique style of capoeira as much as Regional is Bimba’s. This is why so many capoeiristas avow, "there is only one capoeira."

Masters Gato, Rafael, and Preguiça, after being graduated by Master Bimba, co-founded Group Senzala in Rio de Janeiro. Senzala grew to become the largest and most influential school of Capoeira in Brazil with over thirty masters. The Senzala style of Capoeira Regional emphasizes speed, power and flexibility with clean technique. Offshoots of the Senzala group are Group Omulu founded by Mestre Preguiça in San Francisco and Group ABADÁ founded by Mestre Camisa in Rio de Janeiro, continue to develop the Regional technique to an even higher level. ABADÁ is currently the largest and most influential Regional group in the world.
Maculelê, the sister art of capoeira, has even less English translated literature available than capoeira does. It has been suggested that maculelê would have disappeared if capoeiristas hadn't begun performing maculelê in folkloric reviews in an effort to preserve the unique arts of the African diaspora in Brazil. In the Regional style a capoeirista is not considered well-rounded unless he/she can play and build all of the instruments, compose and sing songs, play all styles of Capoeira (Regional, Angola, Jogo de Iuna) and play Maculelê. Maculelê is considered a more directly African style of dance than the African-Brazilian syncretization of capoeira. Its roots are in harvest and warrior dances and was practiced on sugar cane plantations. Maculelê is played in a roda like capoeira which suggests that it was one of the dances of the weekly batuque. Dancers hold two sticks (pau) or machete (facao) and strike their partner's right stick with a slashing motion on the first beat of every four count measure. There are three basic rhythms played upon the atabaque that correspond with different tempi.