Brazilian Revolution
José Joaquim da Silva Xavier, popularly known as Tiradientes (“Tooth Puller”), instigated in 1789 the first rebellion against the Portuguese, who ended up defeating his forces, executed him, and unwittingly made him a national hero after his death. The French Revolution and war against Napolen greatly impacted indirectly the development of Brazil, although the events were unfolding on the opposite side of the Atlantic. When Napoleon declared war against countries near Portugal, as a way to protect the royal family, the king, queen and their family took refuge in Brazil in 1807. There, Dom Joao installed the Council of State, Supreme Court, Royal Mint, and the Royal Treasury in Rio de Janeiro, effectively making Brazil equal to Portugal politically. Unfortunately, Dom Joao was preoccupied with revolts erupting across Lisbon and Oporto; as a result, he appointed Dom Pedro, his son, regent of Brazil while he sailed to Portugal to take control of the situation. Tensions grew between the Portuguese and the Brazilians, because the Cortes (parliament) wanted to restore Brazil to its original state of being a dependent colonial society, but Brazil wanted to keep its power. Later, The Cortes sent an army to Brazil called Legion and ordered Dom Pedro to come back to Europe for fear of an independence movement occurring because of him. But, it was too late, Dom Pedro had already had the support of Brazilians and publicly denied, in his famous speech known as the “Fico”(I Am Staying), his return. After several months, Dom Pedro eventually formed his own government, declared Brazil independent, and appointed himself emperor of the new nation; however the Portuguese didn't recognize Brazil as an independent nation until 1825.
King Dom João VI
-King Dom João moved to Brazil from Portugal on 1808. He made Brazil one of the Kingdoms of the United Kingdom of Portugal.
-King Dom João gave his son, Dom Pedro the authority to govern Brazil in the kings place if he were to leave or die by making Pedro Regent Prince.
-King Dom João expanded Brazils trade with many nations and eliminated the commercial monopoly that Portugal held over Brazil.
-In 1821 João returned to Europe. João gave the role of constitutional monarch to his son Pedro.
King Pedro
-King Pedro disagreed with Portugal’s impositions. Portugal’s liberal government called him a rebel.
-Portugal sent troops to arrest Pedro. Pedro’s military support prohibited the troops from Portugal to enter. The troops returned to Portugal without Pedro.
-September 7, 1822, on his balcony at his royal palace at Ipiranga, drew his sword and declared "Independence or death!"
On October 12, at the age of 24, he was made Emperor of Brazil.
-In 1824 a constitution was granted the Brazilians, derived in part from words used in France's Declaration of the Rights of Men.
-In 1825 Pedro settled Brazil’s debts with Britain and he agreed to ban the importation of slaves. This angered Brazil’s planters who benifited from slave labor.
The idea of Pedro becoming king of Portugal as well as Brazil, ending Brazil's independence, caused discontent in Brazil.
Pedro preserved his position in Brazil by giving the throne in Portugal to his daughter MariaII with his brother, Dom Miguel as her regent.
-In Brazil in 1831, Pedro gave the throne to his five-year-old son, who was put under a regency, Pedro went to Europe in hope of putting his daughter Maria II back on the throne in Spain. He won the support of France's new liberal monarch, Louis-Phillipe. a force under Pedro's command landed in Portugal in 1833.
-Pedro died of tuberculoses September of 1834.
Important Figures
Background
King Dom João
Dom Pedro