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The Conquest Of Brazil Essay

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Before their independence, Brazil was under the rule of the Portuguese empire from the 16th century to the 19th century. The land was claimed in the name of the Kingdom of Portugal by the Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, and was named Terra de Vera Cruz in 1500. The name changed in 1501 after an Italian navigator named Amerigo Vespucci brought a red wood known as brazilwood to the land. The general area has been known as Brazil ever since.
Colonization started in 1530 by the orders of Portuguese king John III. Each of the 15 sections Brazil was divided into was given to a prominent member of Portuguese Court. After King John III, Portuguese leadership fell to Philip II of Spain. Both the English and the Dutch were considered to be Spain’s inherent enemies, so both nations attempted several attacks on Brazil. They suffered primarily attacks from the Dutch to take over their land from 1624 to 1640 until Spanish rule was overridden by Portugal and made into a viceroyalty.
Brazil began its interest in independence when Cisplatine Province, later known as Uruguay, fought with the help of Argentina to overthrow Britain’s control. Brazil attempted to assist in the revolution to no avail. Brazil lost the battle in 1827, but Cisplatine Province still managed to gain its …show more content…

After Prince John VI inherited the Portuguese crown and increasingly lost favor with the Brazilian public, he designated his son, Dom Pedro, to be the regent of Brazil. With his help, the Brazilian public was able to begin their fight for independence and their separation from Portugal. Dom Pedro disobeyed his orders to return to Europe, and instead listened to Brazil’s rise in nationalism and assisted in their rebellion. The Portuguese surrendered in 1823, and Brazil began their difficult journey to becoming their own

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