Context

 

The initial success of the Napoleonic wars, the royal family moving to Brazil, the high taxes imposed on the Brazil colony, the political and philosophical ideas from the Age of Enlightment, the American Revolution, the constant bickering between Portugal and Brazil, and the tension between the new and old settlers of Brazil were all strong situations that led to the Brazilian Revolution in 1822. 

 

 

SOCIAL

 

 

The philosophies from the Age of Enlightment and the social abuses from the Portuguese government led Brazil to start looking for a revolution in order to be independent. In 1792, a drastic increase in the taxes, for the first time, led Brazilians to speak out and turn against their government. A group of angry wealthy and educated men, led by José da Silva Xavier, planned to revolt, inspired by the philosophical and political ideas from the Age of Enlightenment. The group was called "Inconfidencia Mineira" and their main goal was to look for a better type of goverment. Unfornutally, José da Silva Xavier was killed and never accomplished his goal, but the protests continued. For example, in 1798, another group rose in Bahia, but this time, they were men from lower classes and slaves looking for rights. From this period Brazil started growing piecemeal, and all the injustices for its people and the Age of Enlightenment were fundamental keys that made hate and disagreements towards Portugal's power flourish.

 

 

POLITICAL

Brazilians' gain of power brought differences between them and the entire Portuguese nation who wanted Brazil as a colony and not as a state. The invasion of Napoleon and the disagreement between the Portuguese and Brazilians led to the need of Independence. Napoleon invaded Portugal in the early 1800s and scared Dom Joao, the Portuguese Prince, into taking refuge in Brazil, the biggest Portuguese colony. King Joao, the ruler of Portugal, was preoccupied with revolts erupting across Lisbon and Oporto and appointed his son, Pedro, regent while he sailed to Lisbon to take control of the situation. Then, in 1815 Brazil was declared as a state and not as a colony. As a resullt, tensions grew between the Portuguese and the Brazilians. At the end, by the disagreement of the entire Portuguese nation, The Cortes (parliament) tried to restore Brazil to its original state of being a dependent colonial society, but the Brazilians were not going to let that happen. The rise of power in Brazil, even if brought social problems, led the country to be stronger in the search for independence.

 

 

INTERACTIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

 

Portugal had exploited Brazil's environment with the extreme production of sugar and gold mined as much as it exploited peasants and slaves until Brazil was strong enough to rebel. During the first two centuries of Portugese settlement, the natives were in constant war with the Europeans. By the mid 16th century, cane sugar was Brazil's most important export, and as a result, they had to import many slaves from African Portugese colonies to have enough work force for the many sugar plantations. After the price and demand of sugar started to decline, gold was found in Brazil. The discovery of gold brought many new settlers into brazil, not only from Portugal and other Portugese colonies, but also from other European colonial powers. This arrival of new European settlers started many conflicts between new and old settlers. Slavery, the exploitation of land and conflicts with new settlers were all causes for the Brazilian revolution and independence.

 

 

CULTURE

The rapid cultural development of Brazil allowed its citizens to be highly educated people, leading, later, to a quest for independence. Before Brazil´s Independence in 1822, the Napoleonic Wars brought revolts in Brazil by the movement of the royal family in Portugal in the 1808.  At their arrival, Dom João set out to transform Rio into a true capital, one that would rival any in Europe. During his years in Brazil, medical, military, and art schools were established; which gave native and portuguese desendants free education. In addition, in Dale Pappas' words (The Napoleon Series), "José Joaquim da Maia, was inspired to rebel against Portugal upon his meeting American revolutionary Thomas Jefferson in Paris." He died before the revolution, but other followed his ideals as what happened with Xavier da Silva. Culturally, Brazil was almost equal to Portuguese and other European countries and quickly gaind so mich power that no one, even Portugal, could stop.

 

ECONOMY

Gold, sugar and slavery were the main areas in which Portugal took advantage of Brazil many years before its independence. At the beginning of the XVl  and XVll century, the Portuguese gains from Brazil was by the exports and commercial profit, was small compared to other countries as Spain; just 3 percent in 1598, and 5 percent in 1619. During this time, the economic activity was concentrated in a small population of settlers who earned money from slavery and the sugar industry. In the 1650’s sugar exports reached their highest point, but due to the lower prices and competition in the Caribbean, earnings began to fall. The discovery of gold in 1690 and diamonds in 1720 in the south in Minas Gerais opened new opportunities for economic expansion. Consequently, the gold industry was at its peak around the 1750’s with a production around 15 tons a year. Because of this sudden economic potential Brazil showed, Portugal started to exploit the land, people, and riches of Brazil causing discontent for the people. 

 

 

 

• Pappas, Dale. "The Napoleonic Wars and Brazilian Independence." The Napoleonic Wars and Brazilian Independence. N.p., May 2009. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.