What was the imperial period?
The imperial period was a phase of Brazilian history that began in 1822, when Brazil became independent, and completed in 1889, when the Proclamation of the Republic. During this period, Brazil organized itself politically as a monarchy, being ruled by an emperor, whose power was transmitted in a hereditary way.
Also access:Discover five facts about the independence of Brazil
Independence of Brazil
The imperial period of our history began shortly after the independence of Brazil, declared on September 7, 1822, when Dom Pedro carried out the cry for independence on the banks of the Ipiranga River, in São Paulo. This, however, is just the end of a process started in 1808, when the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil, starting the Joanine Period.
The change of the Portuguese royal family took place at the turn of 1807 to 1808, when Portugal was invaded by Napoleonic troops. With that, the royal family settled in Rio de Janeiro and started a series of transformations that placed Brazil on a new level, responsible for anticipating our independence.
Despite this, the starting point for the independence of Brazil only occurred in 1820, when the Porto Liberal Revolution. In this revolution, the Portuguese bourgeoisie demanded the return of King D. João VI to Portugal and demanded the repeal of the measures that guaranteed greater economic freedom to Brazil.
Portugal's demands were seen in Brazil as an attempt to recolonize the country and to impede the economic development that was underway. From then on, Brazilians became dissatisfied with Portugal, giving rise to the process of independence in Brazil, led by Dom Pedro, appointed by his father as regent of the country.
The strain on relations between Brazil and Portugal led Dom Pedro to proclaim the independence of Brazil. Our country then became a monarchy, and Dom Pedro was crowned emperor, becoming Dom Pedro I.
Periodization
Brazil's imperial period is divided into three phases:
first reign (1822-1831)
Governing Period (1831-1840)
second reign (1840-1889)
first reign
O first reign it was the period in which the country was ruled by Dom Pedro I, son of Dom João VI and regent of Brazil until its independence. The First Reign was marked by friction between D. Pedro I and political groups in Brazil, for authoritarianism and incompetence in administering the country.
With independence, certain regions of the country, such as Pará and Maranhão, remained loyal to Portugal, triggering a war in the country. With the end of the independence war, it was necessary to guarantee that Portugal would recognize Brazilian independence. This recognition was formalized in 1825 through negotiations mediated by England.
The granting of Constitution of 1824 was the clearest example of the authoritarianism that marked the reign of D. Peter I. His government was also marked by wrong decisions, such as the Cisplatin War, which destroyed our economy, and by rebellions, which demonstrated the weakness of the government in command of Brazil. Pressured by several dissatisfied groups, D. Peter I renounced the throne in 1831, in favor of his son.
The son of D. Pedro I, however, was not old enough to take over Brazil. Thus, a transition period began in which the country was governed by regents until the future emperor had the minimum age to assume the country – 18 years –, as stipulated in the Constitution of 1824.
This transition period was known as the Regency Period.
Governing Period
Elected Regents governed Brazil during the Regency Period, a phase that was marked by disputes between Brazilian parliamentarians and provincial rebellions. During this period, there were rebellions such as the cabin, Balaiada, sabinada, Malês revolt and the Ragamuffin revolution.
The period of regency ended with the Coup of Age, in which Brazilian politicians anticipated the age of Pedro de Alcântara so that he could be crowned Emperor of Brazil at the age of 14. This parliamentary coup took place in 1840, beginning the Second Reign.
second reign
O Second Reign, period in which Dom Pedro II was the emperor of Brazil, extended from 1840 to 1889. The reign of D. Pedro II can be divided into several phases: an initial period of consolidation, followed by a peak phase and, finally, a decay stage.
THE abolitionist campaign followed a long path and was one of the great events that marked the Second Reign. When D. Pedro II assumed the presidency, Brazil was pressured by England to ban the slave trade from Africa. With the prohibition of trafficking in 1850, the monarchy began a very slow transition until the abolition of slave labor in the country, in 1888, during the final moments of the Brazilian monarchy.
The Paraguay War (1864-1870) was one of the most remarkable events of the Second Reign.
Another important event of the Second Reign was the Paraguay War, a conflict that began in 1864 and ended in 1870 with the victory of Brazil and its allies. In this combat, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay joined together to fight Paraguay and the dictator Solano Lopez. The Paraguay War was the result of the clashes of interests that existed between the South American nations and had as a final consequence the destruction of Paraguay. For Brazil, the great consequences were the weakening of the monarchy and the establishment of a strongcrisiseconomical in the country.
Also access:Find out what were the causes of the Paraguay War
The decay of the monarchy, the result of its weakening in the political circles and in the economic elites of Brazil, made republicanism gain strength as a political alternative. This form of government was made possible by the conspiracy of the military against the monarchy.
THE Proclamation of the Republic it happened on November 15, 1889, when a military coup was organized to remove the ministerial cabinet occupied by the Viscount of Ouro Preto. The dismissal of the cabinet and political articulations led José do Patrocínio to proclaim the republic. D. Pedro II and the royal family then left for Europe in exile.
politics and work
In the early years of the monarchy, Brazil's political life was concentrated around three groups. politicians: moderate liberals, exalted liberals and restorers, each with their own convictions. policies. During the First Reign and the Regency Period, these groups became two, liberal and conservative, which controlled our politics in the Second Reign.
There were many political tensions in the country involving different issues. There were the federalists, who defended greater autonomy for the provinces, while others defended the centralization of power so that the provinces would not have autonomy; some were monarchists, while others were republicans, etc.
The dispute between liberals and conservatives for power in parliament, through the ministerial cabinet, made our politics quite unstable. D. Pedro II was responsible for controlling political disputes and for creating a regime known as reverse parliamentarism, parliamentary system in which the emperor had full powers to dismiss the ministerial cabinet.
In relation to work, the two big questions were related to slave labor and the arrival of the first European immigrants to Brazil. With regard to slavery, the pressure from the British for Brazil to put an end to the slave trade is highlighted – which, in fact, almost led our country to war against the British.
The transition process to the end of slave labor was carried out slowly, demonstrating the disinterest of the monarchy to end slavery in Brazil, as this could politically harm the monarch Brazilian. In the late 1880s, when the situation was already unsustainable, the abolitionist campaign gained strength in the country. In 1888, the Golden Law was signed, prohibiting slave labor by blacks in our country.
The arrival of immigrants to Brazil emerged as an alternative to replace slaves, who, after 1850, with the prohibition of the slave trade, were becoming scarce in our country. Immigrants were very important to the coffee farms, which began to grow in the west of São Paulo. A large number of Italians and Portuguese came to Brazil, as well as Germans and Spaniards.
Summary
Brasil Império is the name given to the period that spanned from 1822 to 1889. The independence of Brazil marked the beginning of the imperial period, which ended with the Proclamation of the Republic. The imperial period is divided into three phases: First Reign, Regency Period and Second Reign.
The First Reign stood out for the authoritarianism of D. Pedro I, which led to the erosion of his relationship with the country's political and economic elite, causing the emperor to resign from office.
The Regency Period was a moment of transition and had two major highlights: political fights and provincial revolts.
Finally, the Second Reign was the largest and most stable period of the monarchy in Brazil, when D. Pedro II ruled the country for nearly half a century. This time was marked by important events in Brazil, such as the Paraguayan War. During this period, the country underwent transformations that led to the end of slave labor and the arrival of thousands of immigrants in the country. The military coup that led to the proclamation of the Republic ended the monarchy in 1889.
By Daniel Neves Silva
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiab/brasil-monarquia.htm