BRAZILIAN INDEPENDENCE

Brazil's fight for independence started in 1789, when elites in the captaincy of Minas Gerais revolted against the reassertion of imperial control and new taxes being imposed. The revolt that has come to be known as the Minas Conspiracy involved both military officers and prominent figures. This revolt failed but was a sign that some Brazilians desired independence.

Brazil a colony of Portugal had its ties severed with its' mother country in 1807 and 1808 when Napoleon I and his armies invaded both Spain and Portugal. After Napoleon deposed Spanish king Ferdinand VII, Spain's colonies were isolated from royal control and bloody wars for independence took place. Fortunately for Brazil it was able avoid this fate because Portugal's monarchy fled Lisbon before Napoleon's French troops entered the city. In an attempt to escape Napoleon and his army the monarchy and thousands of citizens fled to Brazil. This trip made Rio de Janeiro the center of the empire.

Prince regent of Portugal, John VI arrived in Brazil in 1808 and ruled Portugal's colonies for 13 years. Then in 1815 John VI made Brazil equal to Portugal by granting it the status of a kingdom.

Also by 1815, Napoleon and his army had been defeated. This cleared the way for the monarchy to return to its first home in Portugal, Lisbon. John VI did not want to return to Lisbon, he chose to stay in Brazil. He was forced to leave in 1821 because in 1820 the Portuguese army was at the forefront of a revolution designed to bring a constitutional government. Those revolting agreed that John VI could serve as a constitutional monarch of the empire. There was a catch though, for him to serve as the constitutional monarch he had to return to Portugal. When he left he left his son Pedro in charge as the prince regent of Brazil.

As the prince regent of Brazil Pedro saw the writing on the wall and that revolutions in other Latin American countries increased the likelihood for a national independence movement in Brazil. The new parliament in Portugal was aggressive and it caused and increase in demand for independence through a group of decisions that insulted and offended important Brazilians. Portuguese members of parliament showed open distaste and resentment for Brazilian members. The parliament even tried to return Brazil back to colonial status and under the mother land of Portugal's rule. In September 1821, the Portuguese Parliament, voted to abolish the Kingdom of Brazil and the royal agencies in Rio de Janeiro, subordinating all provinces of Brazil directly to Lisbon. Troops were sent to Brazil, and all Brazilian units were placed under Portuguese command. This marked the beginning of the small-scaled Brazilian War of Independence. These moved caused a louder cry for Brazilian independence.

As prince regent Pedro had two choices, do as he is told by the parliament or take control of the movement for independence. He chose to take control of the independence movement. On September 7^th of 1822 Pedro declared Brazil's independence, after being given orders by the Portuguese parliament to restrain his authority. The way everything went down allowed Brazil to peacefully gain independence a very rare feat through out history.

While Brazil declared its independence on September 7, 1822, its independence was not immediately recognized. Pedro hired Admiral Thomas Cochrane, one of Britain's most successful naval commanders in the Napoleonic Wars and previously  commander of the Chilean naval forces against Spain and other countries to drive the Portuguese out of several locations, including Bahia, Maranhao, and Para, and to oblige those areas to substitute Lisbon's rule for the rule of Rio de Janeiro.

After a number of small battles and setbacks, recognition of Brazil and its' independence among the global community came when both Britain and Portugal recognized Brazilian independence by signing a treaty on August 29, 1825. Secret codicils of the treaty required that Brazil assume payment of 1.4 million pounds sterling owed to Britain and indemnify many Portuguese for losses equaling 600,000 pounds sterling. Brazil also had to renounce possible future annexation of Portuguese African colonies and in a side treaty with Britain promised to end the slave trade. Pedro then produced a constitution modeled on that of Portugal and France. It specified indirect elections and created the usual three branches of government but also added a fourth, the "moderating power", to be held by the emperor. Politics and wars with neighboring countries and the difficulties of establishing any new independent country led to Pedro's abdication of the throne in 1831. It is a common misconception that Brazilian independence came without bloodshed. Even though both sides managed to steer clear of substantial set battles, they did actually participate in guerrilla strategy, tactics, countermoves, and demonstrations. Still, unlike most countries, Brazil achieved independence peacefully, though not easily or quickly. It took decades for Brazil to gain its independence from Portugal and earn recognition as its own country. Brazil now celebrates on September 7th, the day on which they declared their independence. This celebration is similar to how the United States celebrates their independence on the fourth of July.

Bibliography

"Brazilian Empire." Wikipedia. 4 Jan. 2007. 8 Jan. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lndependence_of_Brazil#International_recognition>.
"History, Independence." 8 Jan. 2007 <http://www.countriesquest.com/south_ameriCalbraZil/history/independenCe.htm> . Hamre, Bonnie. "Brazil's Independence Day September 7th." About. 8 Jan. 2007 <http://90southameriCa.abOut.COm/Od/brahistory/qtllndependence Day. htm>.
"Brazilian War of Independence 1821-1825." On War. 16 Dec. 2000. 8 Jan. 2007 <htt^p://www.onwar.COm/aced/nation/batlbrazil/fbraZiI1821b.htm>.