Why Did Portugal Gain The Independence Of Brazil

In 1789, a man from the mountains of Brazil had an idea that would change his countries’ history. Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, also known as Tiradentes, had a clear goal: to obtain Brazil’s independence from Portugal. Both during his life, and long after his death, Tiradentes inspired Brazilians to fight for their freedom.

From this time to around 1813, the Chileans who supported this idea of independence from Spain began to peacefully change their government. However, there was a controversy amongst some Chileans on how far the

There were a few main points that led up to the Latin American independence movement. In, 1797 the Britain blockade of Spain took place for two years, which cut off

The Independence of Latin America was a process caused by years of injustices, discriminations, and abuse, from the Spanish Crown upon the inhabitants of Latin America. Since the beginning the Spanish Crown used the Americas as a way to gain riches and become greater in power internationally. Three of the distinct causes leading Latin America to seek independence from Spain, were that Spain was restricting Latin America from financial growth, (this included restrictions from the Spain on international trade, tax burden, and laws which only allowed the Americas to buy from Spain), The different social groups within Latin America, felt the pressure of the reforms being implicated on them

To start, in Brazil the Portuguese become convinced that full-scale exploitation of the land was imperative for the safety of their entire overseas empire. Sugar cultivation was the ideal crop to guarantee the existence of a profitable colony. As a result, the Portuguese dominated the Atlantic slave trade. Various slaves from different parts of Africa were brought to Brazil and experienced difficult working and in living

All of the aforementioned factors contributed to the independence movement of Mexico. However, the main steps towards independence came because of Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808. The monarchy was greatly weakened when Napoleon gave the crown to his brother causing the people of Madrid to revolt. With Spain’s back turned, the leaders of New Spain began to argue amongst themselves. The viceroy was forced to allow the Criollos to participate in administration. Then, a group of Peninsulares, those who had been placed in many of the administrative positions, did not like that the Criollos were gaining any influence in the government. They staged a coup d’etat and overthrew the viceregal government.

Both countries have transplanted cultures: Portugal for Brazil and Great Britain for USA, but the process of colonization that started in Brazil differs from the process of colonization of the USA, for example. Europeans didn’t go to Brazil to live and develop the territory for their own benefit. Actually, they went there to explore its rich natural recourses and came back home with lots of money.

“More than by force do they dominate us, by deception” were the words of Latin American revolution leader, Simon Bolivar. The Latin American revolution was a fight for independence from Spain, their mother country. In the colonies people were divided into different social groups. Beginning with the higher-classes the different classes were Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattos, Indians and lastly slaves. The Creoles, American-born Spaniards, led this revolution for three reasons: desire of political control, to provide protection for their economic interests, and their fear towards social unrest.

Revolutions hit Latin America, and the fight for independence would change history forever. In the early 1800’s the lower class known as Mulattos, Mestizos and mid-class creoles were in a battle for a new form of government, against the abundant and powerful peninsulares. Rebellions in Latin America were fueled by the unjust distribution of food, wealth, and power.

In processes of Independence in South American and Brazil happened very differently. In the Spanish American process of revolution there were lots of movements for rebellion (Chasteen:93). Many of the movements were set in motion when the king of Spain, Carlos IV, and Prince Fernando, were captured by Neapolitan (Chasteen:92). The colonies questioned the leadership of the Spanish crown. In Mexico, two priests sparked different rebellions. Father Miguel Hidalgo gained support from indigenous and mestizo people with the phrase “Americans versus Europeans” (Chasteen:96). This turned into rebellion against the Peninsulars and, unintentionally, creole since it was difficult for the fighters to tell them apart (Chasteen:96). Father José María Morelos

After the brutal revolts against its motherland, Spain, the Dominican Republic finally declared its independence in 1821. But the independence was shortly lived, because in the following year, Haiti dominated the country, oppressing the citizens under their rule. Fortunately, the Dominican Republic was able to declare independence for the second time in 1844, but the country was still not in rest. After President Pedro Santana was elected, he returned the country to Spanish rule. In effect, the Dominican

After the French arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, King John VI gave Brazil the power over the Portuguese

In contrast to the independence movements of Spanish Latin America, Brazilian independence came simply and peacefully. The Portuguese royal family took refuge in Brazil in 1807. This transformed Rio de Janiero into a court city. The prince regent Joao addressed complaints of the locals that were similar to those of the Spanish Creoles. He made Brazil a kingdom in 1815. Soon, Brazil was more prosperous than Portugal. In 1820, a revolution occurred in Portugal and its leaders demanded that Joao's return to Portugal and Brazil's return to colonial status. Joao, who became

European colonialism changed the economy in Brazil drastically. The country went basically from hunters and gatherers to a major source of goods for exports do largely to the Portuguese. Portugal explored Brazil because of the European commercial expansion of the fifteen and sixteenth centuries. Portugal began in the fifteenth century to search for other routes to the sources of goods valued in European markets. At first the Portuguese did not find mineral riches in their American colony, but did not lose hope. The Portuguese had to defend the Brazil from European intruders, they did this by establishing a pioneer colonial enterprise. They began to produce sugar, and then in 1531 cattle began to arrive in Brazil, and developed quickly as an industry. The cattle developed to the needs of the sugar industry for transportation and food for the workers. (5)

Slavery in Portugal happened before the country was formed. During the pre-independence period, the people of Portuguese’s territory were often enslaved, and they enslaved others. After independence, during the time of the Kingdom of Portugal, the country played a vital role in the Atlantic Slave Trade (i.e.,