1831-1840 Republic
1889-1914







Brazil an Empire, 1840-1889



Government : In 1840, Pedro II. was declared of age; in 1841 he was crowned Emperor. He appointed conservative cabinets, from 1844 to 1848 liberal cabinets. In 1862 the Progressive Party was founded; progressive cabinets ruled 1863-1868, followed by conservatives 1868-1878 and by liberals 1878-1885, when the conservatives again took over

Domestic Policy : the Liberals,upset about Conservative cabinets being appointed, organized rebellions in Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, which were suppressed. In 1840 the secessionist Republic of Santa Catarina had been terminated, in 1845 Rio Grande do Sul's era as an independent state was brought to an end. In 1848 Pernambuco became the center of the Praieira Revolution, inspired by events in France; it was suppressed in 1850.
The major political issue of the 1860es to 1880es was slavery; while Dom Pedro II. and many politicians were convinced that the institution weas outdated, the Brazilian economy was heavily dependent on the institution and progress was slow (see under economy).

Foreign Policy : Separatist tendencies existed in Brazil, too; in 1836-1842, Rio Grande do Sul fought a war for independence, in which Italian maverick Giuseppe Garibaldi was engaged. The attempt failed, Brazilian unity was preserved.
In 1851, Brazilian troops interfered in the Argentine Civil War, contributing to ousting the tyrant of Buenos Aires, Juan Manuel de Rosas. In 1854 the Uruguayan president requested Brazilian troops to help end the civil war in that country; they were to stay for years. In 1864 Atanasio Cruz Aguirre seized power in Uruguay; Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul was affected) presented him with an ultimatum. Paraguay supported Aguirre; the affair developed into the War of the Triple Alliance; Aguirre was toppled in Uruguay, and Paraguay fought Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina simultaneously, bringing state and nation to the verge of extinction. The allies had a number of reasons to fight the war with such severity - the desire to partition Paraguay, the firm intention to see Paraguay's dictator resign, and to terminate the Paraguayan social model.

The Economy : In 1846, a currency reform introduced the Milreis as the new monetary unit of Brazil. In 1854 the first railway in Brazil was built. The war against Paraguay 1865-1870 was costly in terms of money as well as lives.
Brazil adhered to slavery, outlawing the import of African slaves only in 1850. However, African slaves continued to be smuggled into the country, at first at an accelerating rate. Now, slave breeding farms were established to supply the continuing demand. In 1871 a law was passed granting liberty to children born to slaves after that date. In 1880 the Brazilian Abolitionist Society was founded; in 1885 a law was passed granting liberty to all slaves over 60 years of age.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the demand for Brazilian rubber increased, which was won from trees growing wild in the Amazon region. Brazil forbade the export of rubber trees and seeds, and for a number of years had a virtual monopoly on rubber, until rubber seeds were smuggled out in 1876, and rubber plantations were set up in the Straits Settlements (modern Malaysia).

Demography : immigration continued and accelerated, steamship technology allowing for the transit to be conducted in shorter time, and larger numbers of people to be transported.
The southern states of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Parana, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro) profited most from immigration; in 1850, German immigrants founded the city of Blumenau, in the years 1875 following large numbers of Italian immigrants arrived in Rio Grande do Sul.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		History of Brazil, from Wikipedia (Engl., Port.)
Global History of Currencies : Brazil, by Bryan Taylor
Für Dom Pedro. Export aus Europas Armenhäusern und Gefängnissen (For Dom Pedro; Export from Europe's Poorhouses and Prisons), from Kriegsreisende.de, in German
Article Abolicionismo no Brasil, from Wikipedia (Port.)
A Brief History of the Brazilian Railways, by The Brazilian Trains Reference Page, posted by Fapinto
DOCUMENTS In Plurimis, Encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, May 5th 1888, on the occasion of the freeing of many slaves in Brazil as part of celebrations of the pope's 50th anniversary. Notes the slave trade is continuing in Africa and condemns it harshly
REFERENCE Boris Fausto, A Concise History of Brazil, Cambridge Concise Histories, 1999
Donald E. Worcester, Brazil, from Colony to World Power, NY : Scribner 1973
Article : Brazil, in : Statesman's Year Book 1878 pp.494-508 [G]
Article : Brazil, in : The American Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events 1862 pp.197-200, 1863 pp.166-168, 1864 pp.168-170, 1886 pp.93-98 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 6th 2007

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