Pedro I
The Portuguese prince who declared Brazil's independence and became Brazil's first emperor.
Life
Portuguese prince
Pedro was the son of King John VI of Portugal and fled to Brazil with the royal family in 1808. In 1821 John VI returned to Lisbon, leaving him in Brazil as Prince Regent.
Independence or Death
When the Portuguese Cortes tried to reduce Brazil back to colonial status, Pedro refused to return to Portugal ("I shall stay"). On September 7, 1822, on the banks of the Ipiranga near São Paulo, he declared independence, and in December he was crowned Emperor of Brazil. In 1824 he promulgated a constitution that created a "moderating power" held by the emperor.
Return to Portugal
His autocratic style, the war in which the Cisplatine Province (Uruguay) was lost, and scandals in his private life cost him popular support. In 1831 he abdicated in favor of his five-year-old son Pedro II and returned to Portugal to fight for his daughter's claim to the throne; as Pedro IV he won the Liberal Wars, and he died in 1834.
Legacy
Pedro I brought Brazil to independence without breaking it apart, in sharp contrast to Spanish America, which split into many countries.
Major works & achievements
- Constitution of 1824
Did you know? He was both Emperor of Brazil and King of Portugal, and in Portugal he is known as "the Liberator."
Key dates
- 1808Comes to Brazil with the Portuguese royal family
- 1822Declares independence at Ipiranga; crowned emperor
- 1824Promulgated a constitution
- 1828Uruguayan independence
- 1831Abdicated in favor of his son
- 1834Dies in Portugal