People talk about “genetics” today like it’s some kind of fitness blessing. But in the 19th century, genetics wasn’t a trend — it was a weapon. This is the story behind a photograph often shared without context. A story not about strength, but about ownership. Not about muscle, but about control. His name was José Florêncio, but history remembers him as Pata Seca — “Dry Paw.” Born enslaved in São Paulo, Brazil, he grew into a man who stood over 2.18 meters (7’2”). A giant by any measure. And his enslavers saw only one thing: breeding potential. He wasn’t treated as a man. He was treated as a machine. In a brutal system where human beings were turned into property, Pata Seca was forced into a role they called a “tribal bull.” He was used — repeatedly — to “produce” stronger, larger enslaved children who could be sold for higher prices. That’s what “genetic advantage” meant under slavery. It wasn’t a compliment. It was a sentence. Legend says he fathered 200 to 300 children under this system. Not by choice. Not by freedom. But because it was demanded of him. And yet, after the abolition of slavery, something remarkable happened. Pata Seca finally lived as a human being. He received a small piece of land. He married the woman he chose. Together they had nine children. He lived long — some say to 130 years old — and thousands attended his funeral. In his city today, locals say nearly one-third of the population descends from him. His story is not a celebration of genetics. It is a reminder: Muscles don’t tell you what a man endured. Height doesn’t tell you what was taken from him. Strength doesn’t always come from choice. Pata Seca survived a world determined to use his body as a tool. And in the end, he reclaimed his humanity on his own terms.