Relocation of the Portuguese court to Brazil

The Portuguese court moved to Brazil ( November 29, 1807 - April 26, 1821 ; port Transferência da corte portuguesa para o Brasil ) was the result of Napoleonic aggression during the so-called Pyrenees wars of the early XIX century. Fearing the Spanish-French occupation of Lisbon , the Portuguese royal family and retinue of about 15 thousand people, under the protection of the British, moved to Brazil. Thus, the first unique case of the so-called “ colonial inversion ” occurred. The relocation as a whole had positive consequences for both countries, especially Brazil, which received an incentive to develop and actually became the metropolis of Portugal. The relocation also led to a radical review of the status of both states and culminated in Brazil gaining sovereignty . The arrival of the royal court also significantly revived the internal life of the country.

Content

Plans

The royal family on Belen embankment awaiting boarding

Prior to this, plans to transfer the capital from Portugal to Brazil have been considered more than once:

In 1580 , in order to counter the Iberian Union .
In 1640 , in order to avoid the consequences of its rupture
Several times at the end of the 17th beg. 18 centuries during various European conflicts.
At the beginning of the XIX century in connection with the Napoleonic expansion.

Timeline

The Portuguese royal family arrived in Brazil on January 22, 1808 . The first stop was at the port of Salvador , and on January 28, the royal escort finally arrived in the capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro . The British government took the most direct part in this move, which provided the Portuguese with the necessary sea vessels for the relocation, and in return received the extension of exclusive rights and guarantees in Portuguese-Brazilian politics and economics, effectively turning Brazil and, especially, Portugal into British semi-colonies .

Life in a new place

On October 10, 1808, the Royal Printing House issued the first Brazilian newspaper, the Rio de Janeiro Newspaper . In Salvador, Juan VI created the Medical and Surgical School, which became the first higher educational institution in the country.

On November 25, the British and other foreigners were allowed to buy land in Brazil, although this did not cause massive immigration since only a small group of people owned huge latifundia , often comparable in size to Portugal itself. 76% of the country's 6 millionth population during this period were mulattos and blacks - slaves .

In 1810, the first public library was opened in Rio de Janeiro and the Royal Military Academy was established.

In 1811, the official consulate of the Russian Empire was established. Franz Borel (1775-1832), a Russian diplomat of French descent, became Russia's first envoy to Rio de Janeiro .

In 1815, the status and official name of both countries changed. The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve arose.

The Academy of Fine Arts of Rio de Janeiro was founded on August 12, 1818 .

On April 26, 1821, the Constitutionalist revolution in Porto forced King Joao VI to return to Portugal, but his son Pedro continued to remain in Brazil as Prince Regent . At the same time, in the presence of members of the royal court, the king himself pushed him to such a decision: “Pedro, my son, when the time is right, put on the crown yourself, without waiting for some impostor to do it for you!”

January 9, 1822 - Fiku Day (from the port. (Eu) fico - “I stay”): Prince Don Pedro, who remained in Brazil, publicly promised not to leave the country and declared that he would stay in it forever.

On September 7, 1822, Brazil's independence was officially proclaimed.

On October 12, 1822, Don Pedro became emperor and received the title of Pedro I. The state itself was called the Brazilian Empire and lasted until 1889 .

On December 1, 1822, the solemn coronation of Pedro I.

Consequences of relocation

The move of the Portuguese royal retinue to Brazil for 14 years, on the one hand, served as an incentive for the development of the country, and on the other, accelerated Brazil's progress towards independence. Moreover, an analysis of the situation shows that, in fact, Portugal gained independence from Brazil, since it was its political circles, in particular a number of officials who remained in place, who were unhappy that the former colony had turned into a metropolis. Moreover, after independence, many Brazilians expressed a desire to take the Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia under their guardianship, although these plans did not succeed.