From the moment that D. Pedro became convinced that the independence of Brazil was an irreversible fact, even as prince regent, he called for a constituent Assembly, on June 3, 1822. This assembly did not solidify immediately, and its practice only began after the proclamation of independence. The main objective of the assembly was to draft a constitution for the new sovereign state.
The idea of a constituent project came from Antônio Carlos de Andrada e Silva. Based on this idea, it was established that only those who had an annual income equivalent to 150 bushels of manioc flour would have the right to vote. THE Cassava Constitution, as it became known, demonstrated the power and interest of the agrarian elite, through the census vote, based on the amount of land and the amount of manioc planted.
Another feature of the project was the maintenance of slave labor and the attribution given to the government to look after the slave workforce. During this period, two groups disputed power during this period: the
portuguese party it's the brazilian party. The Portuguese party claimed absolute powers for D. Peter I; and the Brazilian party wanted the monarch's submission to parliament. José Bonifácio, minister of the Empire, tried to reconcile the interests of the two parties.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
The division of executive, legislative and judiciary powers was included in the draft constitution, which determined the predominance of the legislative power over the executive. This profoundly contradicted D's absolutist and centralizing pretensions. Peter I. The prestige of José Bonifácio was against the personal interests of D. Peter I.
Based on this clash of interests, the monarch dismissed the minister and launched a coup on November 12, 1823, supported by the military, dissociating the Constituent Assembly. This event was known in the history of Brazil as the night of agony. Thus, we can observe that the first Brazilian constitution was not born from a Constituent Assembly, but from the personal interests of a king. The beginning of Brazil's political life as an independent nation was tortuous.
By Lilian Aguiar
Graduated in History
Brazil School Team
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
AGUIAR, Lilian Maria Martins de. "The Constituent Assembly of 1823"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiab/a-assembleia-constituinte-1823.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.