Colonial Brazil 1

Colonial Brazil
Colonial Brazil
Brasil Colonial
Colony of Portugal

← 1500–1815
→

Flag Coat of arms

Brazil in 1789.
Capital Salvador
(1549–1763)
Rio de Janeiro
(1763–1815)

Languages Portuguese

Religion Roman Catholic

Government Colony

Monarch

- 1500–1521 Manuel I (first)

- 1777–1815 Maria I (last)

Viceroy

- 1549–1553 Tomé de Sousa (first)

- 1806–1808 Marcos de Noronha, 8th Count of the Arcos

(last)
Colonial Brazil 2

History

- Arrival of Pedro Álvares Cabral on behalf of the Portuguese Empire 22 April 1500

- Elevation to Kingdom and creation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the
Algarves 16 December 1815

Currency Portuguese real

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Colonial Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil Colonial) comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese,
until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a kingdom alongside Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil
and the Algarves. During the early 300 years of Brazilian colonial history, the economic exploitation of the territory
was based first on brazilwood extraction (16th century), sugar production (16th–18th centuries), and finally on gold
and diamond mining (18th century). Slaves, especially those brought from Africa, provided most of the working
force of the Brazilian economy.
In contrast to the neighboring fragmented Spanish possessions, the Portuguese colony, built up by the Portuguese in
Latin America, kept its territorial unity and linguistic integrity after independence, giving rise to the largest country
in the region.Wikipedia:Please clarify

Pre-colonial history (1494–1530)

Portugal and Spain pioneered the European discovery of sea routes that were the first and only channels of
interaction between all of the world's continents, thus beginning the process of globalization. In addition to the
adventurous undertaking of discovery and colonization of far-off lands, these years were filled with pronounced
advancements in cartography, shipbuilding and navigational instruments, of which the Portuguese and Spanish
explorers took advantage.[2]
In 1494, the two kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula divided the New World between them (in the Treaty of
Tordesillas), and in 1500 navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in what is now Brazil and laid claim to it in the
Colonial Brazil 3

name of King Manuel I of Portugal. The Portuguese soon began extracting brazilwood from the rainforest for its
valuable wood and for the red dye derived from it.

The Age of Exploration

Main article: Age of discovery
The European discovery of Brazil was preceded by a series of treaties between the kings of Portugal and Castile,
which were the leading seafaring powers at the time.Wikipedia:Disputed statement The most decisive of these
treaties was the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, that created the Tordesillas Meridian, dividing the world
between those two kingdoms. All land discovered or to be discovered east of that meridian was to be the property of
Portugal, and everything to the west of it went to Spain.
The Tordesillas Meridian divided South America into two parts, leaving a large chunk of land to be exploited by the
Spaniards. The Treaty of Tordesillas was arguably the most decisiveWikipedia:Avoid peacock terms event in all
Brazilian history, since it alone determined that a portion of South America would be settled by Portugal instead of
Spain. The present extent of Brazil's coastline is almost exactly that defined by the treaty of Madrid, which was
approved in 1750.

Discovery and early exploitation

On April 22, 1500, during the reign of King Manuel I, a
fleet led by navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in
Brazil and took possession of the land in the name of
the king. Although it is debated whether previous
Portuguese explorers had already been in Brazil, this
date is widely and politically accepted as the day of the
discovery of Brazil by Europeans. Álvares Cabral was
leading a large fleet of 13 ships and more than 1000
men following Vasco da Gama's way to India, around
Africa. The place where Álvares Cabral arrived is now
Portuguese map by Lopo Homem (c. 1519) showing the coast of
known as Porto Seguro ("safe harbor"), in Northeastern
Brazil and natives extracting brazilwood, as well as Portuguese ships.
Brazil.
Colonial Brazil 4

After the voyage of Álvares Cabral, the Portuguese

concentrated their efforts on the lucrative possessions
in Africa and India and showed little interest in Brazil.
Between 1500 and 1530, relatively few Portuguese
expeditions came to the new land to chart the coast and
to obtain brazilwood. In Europe, this wood was used to
produce a valuable dye to stain luxury textiles. To
extract brazilwood from the tropical rainforest, the
Portuguese and other Europeans relied on the work of
the natives, who worked in exchange for European
goods like mirrors, scissors, knives and axes.

In this early stage of the colonization of Brazil, and

also later, the Portuguese frequently relied on the help
of European adventurers who lived together with the
aborigines and knew their languages and culture. The
most famous of these were the Portuguese João
Ramalho, who lived among the Guaianaz tribe near
today's São Paulo, and Diogo Álvares Correia,
nicknamed Caramuru, who lived among the Tupinamba
natives near today's Salvador de Bahia.
The brazilwood tree, which gives Brazil its name, has dark, valuable
As time passed, the Portuguese realized that some
wood and provides red dye.
European countries, especially France, were also
sending excursions to the land to extract brazilwood.
Worried about foreign incursions and hoping to find mineral riches, the Portuguese crown decided to send large
missions to take possession of the land and combat the French. In 1530, an expedition led by Martim Afonso de
Sousa arrived in Brazil to patrol the entire coast, ban the French, and create the first colonial villages like São
Vicente on the coast.

Colonization
At first, Brazil was set up as fifteen private, hereditary captaincies. Pernambuco succeeded by growing sugar cane.
São Vicente prospered by dealing in indigenous slaves. The other thirteen captaincies failed, leading the king to
make colonization a royal effort rather than a private one.Wikipedia:Citation needed In 1549, Tomé de Sousa sailed
to Brazil to establish a central government. De Sousa brought along Jesuits, who set up missions, saved many natives
from slavery, studied native languages, and converted many natives to Roman Catholicism. The Jesuits' work to
pacify a hostile tribe helped the Portuguese expel the French from a colony they had established at present-day Rio
de Janeiro.
Colonial Brazil 5

Captaincies
Main article: Captaincies of Brazil
See also: Captaincy of São Vicente and Captaincy of Pernambuco
The first attempt to colonise Brazil followed the system of
hereditary captaincies (Capitanias Hereditárias), which had
previously been used successfully in the colonization of Madeira
Island. The costs were transferred to private hands, saving the
Portuguese crown from the high costs of colonization. Thus,
between 1534 and 1536 King John III divided the land into 15
captaincy colonies, which were given to Portuguese noblemen
who wanted and had the means to administer and explore them.
The captains were granted ample powers to administer and profit
from their possessions.

From the 15 original captaincies, only two, Pernambuco and São

Vicente, prospered. The failure of most captaincies was related to
Portuguese map (1574) by Luís Teixeira, showing the the resistance of the indigenous peoples, shipwrecks and internal
location of the hereditary captaincies of Brazil. disputes between the colonizers.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Pernambuco, the most successful captaincy, belonged to Duarte
Coelho, who founded the city of Olinda in 1536. His captaincy prospered with sugarcane mills used to produce
sugar, which were installed after 1542. Sugar was a very valuable good in Europe, and its production became the
main Brazilian colonial produce for the next 150 years.

The captaincy of São Vicente, owned by Martim Afonso de Sousa, also produced sugar but its main economic
activity was the traffic of indigenous slaves.

Governors General
Main article: Governorate General of Brazil
See also: Governorate General of Rio de Janeiro and Governorate General of Bahia
With the failure of most captaincies and the menacing presence of French ships along the Brazilian coast, the
government of King John III decided to turn the colonisation of Brazil back into a royal enterprise. In 1549, a large
fleet led by Tomé de Sousa set sail to Brazil to establish a central government in the colony. Tomé de Sousa, the first
Governor-General of Brazil, brought detailed instructions, prepared by the King's aides, about how to administer and
foster the development of the colony. His first act was the foundation of the capital city, Salvador da Bahia, in
Northeastern Brazil, in today's state of Bahia. The city was built on a slope by a bay (Todos-os-Santos Bay) and was
divided into an upper administrative area and a lower commercial area with a harbour. Tomé de Sousa also visited
the captaincies to repair the villages and reorganise their economies. In 1551, the Diocese of São Salvador da Bahia
was established in the colony, with its seat in Salvador.
Colonial Brazil 6

The second Governor General, Duarte da Costa

(1553–1557), faced conflicts with the aborigines and
severe disputes with other colonisers and the bishop.
Wars against the natives around Salvador consumed
much of his government. The fact that the first bishop
of Brazil, Pero Fernandes Sardinha, was killed and
eaten by the Caeté natives after a shipwreck in 1556
illustrates how strained the situation was between the
Portuguese and many indigenous tribes.

The third Governor-General of Brazil was Mem de Sá

(1557–1573), an efficient administrator who managed
to defeat the aborigines and, with the help of the
Historical centre of Salvador today – the architecture of the city's
Jesuits, expel the French Calvinists who had historic centre is typically Portuguese.
established a colony in Rio de Janeiro (France
Antarctique). His nephew, Estácio de Sá, founded the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1565.

The huge size of Brazil led to the colony being divided into two Estados (states) after 1621, when King Philip II
created the Estado do Brasil, the most importantWikipedia:Avoid peacock terms colonyWikipedia:Citation needed
with Salvador as capital, and the Estado do Maranhão, with capital in São Luís. The state of Maranhão was still
further divided in 1737 into the Estado do Maranhão e Piauí and the Estado do Grão-Pará e Rio Negro, with its
capital in Belém do Pará. Each Estado was led by a Governor.
After 1640, the governors of Brazil coming from the high nobility started to use the title of Vice-rei (Viceroy). In
1763Wikipedia:Citation needed the capital of the Estado do Brazil was transferred from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.
In 1775 all Brazilian Estados (Brasil, Maranhão and Grão-Pará) were unified into the Viceroyalty of Brazil, with Rio
de Janeiro as capital, and the title of the king's representative was officially changed to that of Viceroy of Brazil.
As in Portugal, each colonial village and city had a city council (câmara municipal), whose members were
prominent figures of colonial society (land owners, merchants, slave traders). Colonial city councils were responsible
for regulating commerce, public infrastructure, professional artisans, prisons etc.

Jesuit missions
Main article: Jesuit Reductions
Tomé de Sousa, first Governor General of Brazil,
brought the first group of Jesuits to the colony. More
than any other religious order, the Jesuits represented
the spiritual side of the enterprise and were destined to
play a central role in the colonial history of Brazil. The
spreading of the Catholic faith was an important
justification for the Portuguese conquests, and the
Jesuits were officially supported by the King, who
instructed Tomé de Sousa to give them all the support
needed to Christianise the indigenous peoples. 17th century-Jesuit church in São Pedro da Aldeia, near Rio de
Janeiro.
The first Jesuits, guided by Father Manuel da Nóbrega
and including prominent figures like Juan de Azpilcueta Navarro, Leonardo Nunes and later José de Anchieta,
established the first Jesuit missions in Salvador and in São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, the settlement that gave
Colonial Brazil 7

rise to the city of São Paulo. Nóbrega and Anchieta were instrumental in the defeat of the French colonists of France
Antarctique by managing to pacify the Tamoio natives, who had previously fought the Portuguese. The Jesuits took
part in the foundation of the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1565.
The success of the Jesuits in converting the indigenous peoples to Catholicism is linked to their capacity to
understand the native culture, especially the language. The first grammar of the Tupi language was compiled by José
de Anchieta and printed in Coimbra in 1595. The Jesuits often gathered the aborigines in communities (the Jesuit
Reductions) where the natives worked for the community and were evangelised.
The Jesuits had frequent disputes with other colonists who wanted to enslave the natives. The action of the Jesuits
saved many natives from slavery, but also disturbed their ancestral way of life and inadvertently helped spread
infectious diseases against which the aborigines had no natural defences. Slave labour and trade were essential for
the economy of Brazil and other American colonies, and the Jesuits usually did not object to the enslavement of
African peoples.

French incursions
Main articles: France Antarctique and Equinoctial France
The potential riches of tropical Brazil led the French, who did not recognise the Tordesillas Treaty, to attempt to
colonise parts of the Portuguese colony. In 1555, the Huguenot Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon founded a
settlement within Guanabara Bay, in an island in front of today's Rio de Janeiro. The colony, named France
Antarctique, led to conflict with Governor General Mem de Sá, who waged war against the colony in 1560. Estácio
de Sá, nephew of the Governor, founded Rio de Janeiro in 1565 and managed to expel the last French settlers in
1567. Jesuit priests Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta were instrumental in the Portuguese victory by
pacifying the natives who supported the French.
Another French colony, France Équinoxiale, was founded in 1612 in present-day São Luís, in the North of Brazil. In
1614 the French were again expelled from São Luís by the Portuguese.

The Sugarcane Cycle (1530–1700)

See also: Slavery in Brazil and History of Pernambuco
Since the initial attempts to find gold and silver failed,
the Portuguese colonists adopted an economy based on
the production of agricultural goods that were to be
exported to Europe. Tobacco, cotton, cachaça and some
other agricultural goods were produced, but sugar
became by far the most important Brazilian colonial
product until the early 18th century. The first sugarcane
farms were established in the mid-16th century and
were the key for the success of the captaincies of São
Vicente and Pernambuco, leading sugarcane plantations View of a sugar-producing farm (engenho) in colonial Pernambuco
to quickly spread to other coastal areas in colonial by Dutch painter Frans Post (17th century).

Brazil. The period of sugar-based economy

(1530-c.1700) is known as the "Sugarcane Cycle" in Brazilian history.

Sugarcane was cultivated on large patches of land, harvested and processed in the engenhos, which were the houses
where sugarcane was milled and the sugar refined. Over time, the term engenho was applied to the whole sugarcane
farm. The dependencies of the farm included a casa-grande (big house) where the owner of the farm lived with his
family, and the senzala, where the slaves were kept. This arrangement was depicted in engravings and paintings by
Frans Post as a feature of an apparently harmonious society.[3]
Colonial Brazil 8

Initially, the Portuguese relied on aborigine slaves to work on sugarcane harvesting and processing, but they soon
began importing black African slaves. Portugal owned several commercial facilities in Western Africa, where slaves
were bought from African merchants. These slaves were then sent by ship to Brazil, chained and in crowded
conditions. The idea of using African slaves in colonial farms based on monoculture was also adopted by other
European colonial powers when colonising tropical regions of America (Spain in Cuba, France in Haiti, the
Netherlands in the Dutch Antilles and England in Jamaica).
The Portuguese severely restricted colonial trade, meaning that Brazil was only allowed to export and import goods
from Portugal and other Portuguese colonies. Brazil exported sugar, tobacco, cotton and native products and
imported from Portugal wine, olive oil, textiles and luxury goods – the latter imported by Portugal from other
European countries. Africa played an essential role as the supplier of slaves, and Brazilian slave traders in Africa
frequently exchanged cachaça, a distilled spirit derived from sugarcane, and shells, for slaves. This comprised what
is now known as the Triangular trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas during the colonial period.
Even though Brazilian sugar was reputed as being of high quality, the industry faced a crisis during the 17th and 18th
centuries when the Dutch and the French started producing sugar in the Antilles, located much closer to Europe,
causing sugar prices to fall.

The Iberian Union and Dutch incursions

Main articles: Dutch Brazil and Iberian Union
In 1580, a succession crisis led to Portugal forming a
personal union with Spain under the Habsburg King
Philip II. The unification of the crowns of the two
Iberian kingdoms, known as the Iberian Union, lasted
until 1640, although the institutions of both kingdoms
remained separate. The Netherlands (the Seventeen
Provinces) obtained independence from Spain in 1581,
leading Philip II to prohibit commerce with Dutch
ships, including in Brazil. Since the Dutch had invested
large sums in financing sugar production in the Golden Baroque inner decoration of the Franciscan church of
Brazilian Northeast, a conflict began with Dutch Salvador (first half of 18th century).

privateers plundering the coast: they sacked Salvador in

1604, from which they removed large amounts of gold and silver before a joint Spanish-Portuguese fleet recaptured
the town.

From 1630 to 1654, the Dutch set up more permanently in commercial Recife and aristocratic Olinda, and with the
capture of Paraiba in 1635, the Dutch controlled a long stretch of the coast most accessible to Europe (Dutch Brazil),
without, however, penetrating the interior. The large Dutch ships were unable to moor in the coastal inlets where
lighter Portuguese shipping came and went. Ironically, the result of the Dutch capture of the sugar coast was a higher
price of sugar in Amsterdam. During the Nieuw Holland episode, the colonists of the Dutch West India Company in
Brazil were in a constant state of siege, in spite of the presence of the Count John Maurice of Nassau as governor
(1637–1644) in Recife. Nassau invited scientific commissions to research the local flora and fauna, resulting in
added knowledge of the territory. Moreover, he set up a city project for Recife and Olinda, which was partially
accomplished. Remnants survive to this day.

After several years of open warfare, the Dutch finally withdrew in 1654; the Portuguese paid off a war debt in
payments of salt. Few Dutch cultural and ethnic influences remain.
Colonial Brazil 9

The Quilombos
Main article: Quilombo
Work on the sugarcane plantations in Northeast Brazil and other areas relied heavily on slave labor, mostly of central
African origin. Since the early 17th century there are indications of runaway slaves organizing themselves into
settlements in the Brazilian hinterland. These settlements, called mocambos and quilombos, gathered not only
African slaves but also people of indigenous origin. The largest of the quilombos was the Quilombo dos Palmares,
located in today's Alagoas state, governed by semi-mythical leaders Ganga Zumba and his successor, Zumbi. The
Dutch and later the Portuguese attempted several times to conquer Palmares, until an army led by famed São
Paulo-born Domingos Jorge Velho managed to destroy the great quilombo and kill Zumbi in 1695. Of the many
quilombos that once existed in Brazil, some have survived to this day as isolated rural communities.

Inland expansion: the entradas and bandeiras

Main article: Bandeirantes
See also: São Paulo (state) § History and Captaincy of São Vicente
Since the 16th century the exploration of the Brazilian inland was attempted several times, mostly to try to find
mineral riches like the silver mines found in 1546 by the Spanish in Potosí (now in Bolivia). Since no riches were
initially found, colonisation was restricted to the coast where the climate and soil were suitable for sugarcane
plantations.
The expeditions to inland Brazil are divided into two types: the entradas and the bandeiras. The entradas were done
in the name of the Portuguese crown and were financed by the colonial government. Its main objective was to find
mineral riches, as well as to explore and chart unknown territory. The bandeiras, on the other hand, were private
initiatives sponsored and carried out mostly by settlers of the São Paulo region (the Paulistas). The expeditions of
the bandeirantes, as these adventurers were called, were aimed at obtaining native slaves for trade and finding
mineral riches. The Paulistas, who at the time were mostly of mixed Portuguese and native ancestry, knew all the old
indigenous pathways (the peabirus) through the Brazilian inland and were acclimated to the harsh conditions of
these journeys.
At the end of the 17th century, the bandeirantes expeditions discovered gold in central Brazil, in the region of Minas
Gerais, which started a gold rush that led to a dramatic urban development of inland Brazil during the 18th century.
Additionally, inland expeditions led to westward expansion of the frontiers of colonial Brazil, beyond the limits
established by the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Colonial Brazil 10

The gold cycle (18th century)

Main article: Brazilian Gold Rush
See also: Minas Gerais § History
The discovery of gold was met with great enthusiasm
by Portugal, which had an economy in disarray
following years of wars against Spain and the
Netherlands. A gold rush quickly ensued, with people
from other parts of the colony and Portugal flooding
the region in the first half of the 18th century. The large
portion of the Brazilian inland where gold was
extracted became known as the Minas Gerais (General View of Ouro Preto, one of the main villages founded during the
Mines). Gold mining in this area became the main gold rush of Minas Gerais. The village has preserved its colonial
appearance to this day.
economic activity of colonial Brazil during the 18th
century. In Portugal, the gold was mainly used to pay
for industrialized goods (textiles, weapons) obtained from countries like England and, especially during the reign of
King John V, to build magnificent Baroque monuments like the Convent of Mafra. Apart from gold, diamond
deposits were also found in 1729 around the village of Tijuco, now Diamantina.

In the hilly landscape of Minas Gerais, gold was present in alluvial deposits around streams and was extracted using
pans and other similar instruments that required little technology. Gold extraction was mostly done by slaves. The
Portuguese Crown allowed particulars to extract the gold, requiring a fifth (20%) of the gold (the quinto) to be sent
to the colonial government as tribute. To prevent smuggling and extract the quinto, in 1725 the government ordered
all gold to be cast into bars in the Casas de Fundição (Casting Houses), and sent armies to the region to prevent
disturbances and oversee the mining process. The Royal tribute was very unpopular in Minas Gerais, and gold was
frequently hidden from colonial authorities. Eventually, the quinto contributed to rebellious movements like the
Levante de Vila Rica, in 1720, and the Inconfidência Mineira, in 1789 (see below).
Some historians mention that the trade deficit of Portugal in relation to England while the Methuen Treaty was in
force has also contributed to redirect much of the gold mined in Brazil during the 18th century to Britain. The
Methuen Treaty was a trade treaty signed between England and Portugal, by where all woolen cloth imported from
Britain would be tax free in Portugal, whereas Portuguese wine exported to Britain would be taxed at a third of the
previous import tax on wines. Port wine became increasingly popular in Britain at that time, but cloth amounted to a
larger share of the trade value than wines, hence Portugal eventually incurred in trade deficit with England.
The large number of adventurers coming to the Minas Gerais led to the foundation of several villages, the first of
which were created in 1711: Vila Rica de Ouro Preto, Sabará and Mariana, followed by São João Del Rei (1713),
Serro, Caeté (1714), Pitangui (1715) and São José do Rio das Mortes (1717, now Tiradentes). In contrast to other
regions of colonial Brazil, people coming to Minas Gerais settled mostly in villages instead of the countryside.
In 1763, the capital of colonial Brazil was transferred from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, which was located closer to
the mining region and provided a harbor to ship the gold to Europe.
According to the historian Leslie Bethell, "In 1700 Portugal had a population of about two million people. During
the eighteenth century approximately 400,000 left for [the Portuguese colony of] Brazil, despite efforts by the crown
to place severe restrictions on emigration."[4]
Gold production declined towards the end of the 18th century, beginning a period of relative stagnation of the
Brazilian hinterland.
Colonial Brazil 11

Colonisation of the South

Main article: Colonia de Sacramento
See also: Guarani War
In an attempt to expand the borders of colonial Brazil
and profit from the silver mines of Potosí, the
Portuguese Overseas Council (the Conselho
Ultramarino) ordered colonial governor Manuel Lobo
to establish a settlement on the shore of the River Plate,
in a region that legally belonged to Spain. In 1679,
Manuel Lobo founded Colonia de Sacramento on the
margin opposite to Buenos Aires. The fortified
settlement quickly became an important point of illegal 18th century-São José Fortress near Florianópolis, in Southern
Brazil.
commerce between the Spanish and Portuguese
colonies. Spain and Portugal fought over the enclave on
several occasions (1681, 1704, 1735).

In addition to Colonia de Sacramento, several settlements were established in Southern Brazil in the late 17th and
18th century, some with peasants from the Azores Islands. The towns founded in this period include Curitiba (1668),
Florianópolis (1675), Rio Grande (1736), Porto Alegre (1742) and others, and helped keep Southern Brazil firmly
under Portuguese control.
The conflicts over the Southern colonial frontiers led to the signing of the Treaty of Madrid (1750), in which Spain
and Portugal agreed to a considerable Southwestward expansion of colonial Brazil. According to the treaty, Colonia
de Sacramento was to be given to Spain in exchange for the territories of São Miguel das Missões, a region occupied
by Jesuit Missions dedicated to evangelizing the Guaraní natives. Resistance by the Jesuits and the Guaraní led to the
Guaraní War (1756), in which Portuguese and Spanish troops destroyed the Missions. Colonia de Sacramento kept
changing hands until 1777, when it was definitively conquered by the colonial governor of Buenos Aires.
Colonial Brazil 12

Inconfidência Mineira
Main article: Inconfidência Mineira
In 1788/89, Minas Gerais was the setting of the most important
conspiracy against colonial authorities, the so-called Inconfidência
Mineira. The Inconfidência was inspired by the ideals of the French
liberal philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment and the successful
American Revolution of 1776. The conspirators largely belonged to the
white upper class of Minas Gerais. Many had studied in Europe,
especially in the University of Coimbra, and some had large debts with
the colonial government. In the context of declining gold production,
the intention of the Portuguese government to impose the obligatory
payment of all debts (the derrama) was a leading cause behind the
conspiracy. The conspirators wanted to create a Republic in which the
leader would be chosen through democratic elections. The capital
would be São João Del Rei, and Ouro Preto would become a university
town. The structure of the society, including the right to property and
the ownership of slaves, would be kept intact.
Quartered body of Tiradentes, by Brazilian
The conspiracy was discovered by the Portuguese colonial government
painter Pedro Américo (1893).
in 1789, before the planned military rebellion could take place. Eleven
of the conspirators were exiled to Portuguese colonial possessions in
Angola, but Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, nicknamed Tiradentes, was sentenced to death. Tiradentes was hanged in
Rio de Janeiro in 1792, drawn and quartered, and his body parts displayed in several towns. He later became a
symbol of the struggle for Brazilian independence and liberty from Portuguese rule.

The Inconfidência Mineira was not the only rebellious movement in colonial Brazil against the Portuguese. Later, in
1798, there was the Incofidência Baiana in Salvador. In this episode, which had more participation of common
people, four people were hanged, and 41 were jailed. Members included slaves, middle-class people and even some
landowners.

The Royal Court in Brazil (1808–1821)

Main article: Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil
In 1807 French troops of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Britain's ally, Portugal. Prince Regent João (future King João
VI), who governed since 1792 on behalf of his mother, Queen Maria I, ordered the transfer of the Portuguese royal
court to Brazil before he was deposed by the invading army.
In January 1808, Prince João and his court arrived in Salvador, where he signed a commercial regulation that opened
commerce between Brazil and friendly nations (Britain). This important law broke the colonial pact that, until then,
only allowed Brazil to maintain direct commercial relations with Portugal.
Colonial Brazil 13

In March 1808, the court arrived in Rio de Janeiro. In

1815, during the Congress of Vienna, Prince João
created the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the
Algarves (Reino Unido de Portugal, Brasil e Algarves),
elevating Brazil to the rank of Portugal and increasing
its administrative independence.

In 1816, with the death of Queen Maria, Prince João

succeeded as King, and the ceremony of his
acclamation was held in Rio de Janeiro in February
1818.
Among the important measures taken by Prince João in
his years in Brazil were incentives to commerce and The Paço Imperial, 18th century-colonial palace located in Rio de
industry, the permission to print newspapers and books, Janeiro, used as dispatch house by King João VI of Portugal and later
the creation of two medicine schools, military by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.

academies, and the first Bank of Brazil (Banco do

Brasil). In Rio de Janeiro he also created a powder factory, a Botanical Garden, an art academy (Escola Nacional de
Belas Artes) and an opera house (Teatro São João). All these measures greatly advanced the independence of Brazil
in relation to Portugal and made the later political separation between the two countries inevitable.

Due to the absence of the King and the economic independence of Brazil, Portugal entered a severe crisis that
obliged João VI and the royal family to return to Portugal in 1821: a Liberal Revolution had broken out in Portugal
in 1820, and the royal governors who ruled Portugal in the King's name had been replaced by a revolutionary
Council of Regency formed to govern the European portion of the United Kingdom until the King's return. Indeed,
the King's immediate return to Lisbon was one of the main demands of the Revolution. Under the revolutionary
Council of Regency, a constituent assembly, known as the Portuguese Constitutional Courts (Cortes Constitucionais
Portuguesas), was elected to abolish the absolute monarchy and replace it with a constitutional one. King João VI,
then, yielding to pressure, returned to Europe. Brazilian representatives were elected to join the deliberations of the
Constitutional Cortes of the United Kingdom.

The heir of João VI, Prince Pedro, remained in Brazil. The Portuguese Cortes demanded that Brazil return to its
former condition of colony and that the heir return to Portugal. Prince Pedro, influenced by the Rio de Janeiro
Municipal Senate (Senado da Câmara), refused to return to Portugal in the famous Dia do Fico (January 9, 1822).
Political independence came on September 7, 1822, and the prince was crowned emperor in Rio de Janeiro as Dom
Pedro I, ending 322 years of dominance of Portugal over Brazil.

Territorial evolution of colonial Brazil

Colonial Brazil 14

1534 1573 1709 1789

Capitanias hereditárias Two states Inland expansion At the time of the Inconfidência
Mineira

1822
At date of Independence

Administrative Evolution
Colonial entities, ordered by the date of establishment, earlier to later:
• Captaincy Colonies of Brazil (Private and autonomous colonies 1534-1549)
• Captaincies of Brazil (Colonial provincial districts from 1549-1815)
• Governorate General of Brazil (1549-1572 / 1578-1607 / 1613-1621)
• Governorate General of Bahia (1572-1578 / 1607-1613)
• Governorate General of Rio de Janeiro (1572-1578 / 1607-1613)
• State of Brazil (1621-1815)
• State of Maranhão (1621-1652)
• State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará (1654-1751)
• State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão (1751-1772)
• State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro (1772-1775)
• State of Maranhão and Piauí (1772-1775)
• In 1808 the Queen and the Prince Regent of Portugal arrive in Brazil and the Prince Regent's Government
assumes direct control of the administration of the State of Brazil;
• in 1815, the State of Brazil is elevated to the rank of a Kingdom (the Kingdom of Brazil) and with the
simultaneous formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, marking the formal end of
the colonial era.
• in 1822, Brazil secedes from the United Kingdom and the independent Empire of Brazil is founded. The
separation is recognized by Portugal in 1825.
The detailed history of the administrative changes in the administration of colonial Brazil is as follows:
Colonial Brazil 15

From 1534 (immediately after the start the Portuguese attempts to effectively colonize Brazil) until 1549, Brazil was
divided by the Portuguese Crown in private and autonomous colonies known as hereditary captaincies (capitanias
hereditárias), or captaincy colonies (colónias capitanias).
In 1549, Portuguese King John III abolished the system of private colonies, and the fifteen existing hereditary
captaincies were incorporated into a single Crown colony, the Governorate General of Brazil.
The individual captaincies, now under the administration of the Portuguese Crown (and no longer called colonies or
hereditary captaincies, but simply captaincies of Brazil), continued to exist as provinces or districts within the colony
until the end of the colonial era in 1815.
The unified Governorate General of Brazil, with its capital city in Salvador, existed during three periods: from 1549
to 1572, from 1578 to 1607 and from 1613 to 1621. Between 1572 and 1578 and again between 1607 and 1613, the
colony was split in two, and during those periods the Governorate General of Brazil did not exist, being replaced by
two separate Governorates: the Governorate General of Bahia, in the North, with its seat in the city of Salvador, and
the Governorate General of Rio de Janeiro, in the South, with its seat in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
In 1621, an administrative reorganization took place, and the Governorate General of Brazil became known as the
State of Brazil (Estado do Brasil), keeping Salvador as its capital city. With this administrative remodeling, the unity
of the colony was once again interrupted, as a portion of territory in the northern part of modern Brazil became an
autonomous colony, separate from the State of Brazil: the State of Maranhão, with its capital city in São Luiz.
In 1652, the State of Maranhão was extinguished, and its territory was briefly added to the State of Brazil, reunifying
the colonial administration once more.
However, in 1654, the territories of the former State of Maranhão were again separated from the State of Brazil, and
the Captaincy of Grão-Pará was also split from Brazil. In this restructuring, the territories of Grão-Pará and
Maranhão, severed from Brazil, were united in a single State, initially named as State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará,
having São Luiz as its capital city. This newly created State incorporated territories recently acquired by the
Portuguese west of the Tordesillas line.
In 1751, the State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará was renamed as the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão, and its capital
city as transferred from São Luiz (in Maranhão) to Belém (in the part of the State that was then known as
Grão-Pará).
In 1763 the capital city of the State of Brazil was transferred from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. At the same time, the
title of the King's representative heading the government of the State of Brazil was officially changed from Governor
General to Viceroy (Governors coming from the high nobility had been using the title of Viceroy since about 1640).
However, the name of the Brazil was never changed to Viceroyalty of Brazil. That title, although sometimes used by
modern writers, is not proper, as the colony continued to be titled State of Brazil.
In 1772, in a short-lived territorial reorganization, the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão was split in two: the State of
Grão-Pará and Rio Negro (better known simply as the State of Grão-Pará), with the city of Belém as its capital, and
the State of Maranhão and Piauí (better known simply as the State of Maranhão), with its seat in the city of São Luiz.
Thus from 1772 until another territorial reorganization in 1775 there were three distinct Portuguese States in South
America: the State of Brazil, the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro, and the State of Maranhão and Piauí.
In 1775, in a final territorial reorganization, the colony was once again reunified: the State of Maranhão and Piauí
and the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro were both abolished, and their territories were incorporated into the
territory of the State of Brazil. The State of Brazil was thus expanded; it became the sole Portuguese State in South
America; and it now included in its territory the whole of the Portuguese possessions in the American Continent.
Indeed, with the reorganization of 1775, for the first time since 1621, all the Portuguese territories in the New World
were once again united under a single colonial government. Rio de Janeiro, that had become the capital of the State
of Brazil in 1763, continued to be the capital, now of the unified colony.
Colonial Brazil 16

In 1808, the Portuguese Court was transferred to Brazil as direct consequence of the invasion of Portugal during the
Napoleonic Wars. The office of Viceroy of Brazil ceased to exist upon the arrival of the Royal Family in Rio de
Janeiro, since the Prince Regent, the future King Jonh VI, assumed personal control of the government of the colony,
that became the provisional seat of the whole Portuguese Empire.
In 1815, Brazil ceased to be a colony, upon the elevation of the State of Brazil to the rank of a kingdom, the
Kingdom of Brazil, and the simultaneous political union of that kingdom with the Kingdoms of Portugal and the
Algarves, forming a single sovereign State, the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. That political
union would last until 1822, when Brazil declared its independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and
the Algarves and became the Empire of Brazil, a sovereign nation in the territory of the former Kingdom of Brazil.
The separation was recognized by Portugal with the signing of the 1825 Treaty of Rio de Janeiro.
With the creation of the Kingdom of Brazil in 1815, the former captaincies of the State of Brazil became provinces
within the new Kingdom, and after independence they became the provinces of the Empire of Brazil.

References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:History_of_Brazil& action=edit
[2] Source: Europe and the Age of Exploration | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
[3] See the articles by Ernst van den Boogaart and by Elmer Kolfin in The Slave in European Art: From Renaissance Trophy to Abolitionist
Emblem, ed Elizabeth McGrath and Jean Michel Massing, London (The Warburg Institute) and Turin 2012.
[4] Leslie Bethell (1986). " The Cambridge history of Latin America: Colonial Latin America (http:/ / books. google. com/
books?id=hhNfVshMw64C& pg=PA47& dq& hl=en#v=onepage& q=& f=false)". Cambridge University Press. p.47. ISBN 0-521-24516-8

Bibliography
• Prado Junior, Caio. História econômica do Brasil. (http://www.afoiceeomartelo.com.br/posfsa/Autores/
Prado%20Jr,%20Caio/Historia%20Economica%20do%20Brasil.pdf)
• Furtado, Celso. Formação econômica do Brasil. (http://www.afoiceeomartelo.com.br/posfsa/Autores/
Furtado,%20Celso/
Celso%20Furtado%20-%20Forma%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Econ%C3%B4mica%20do%20Brasil.pdf)
• Colonial history of Brazil in the Rio de Janeiro Municipality website (in Portuguese). (http://www.multirio.rj.
gov.br/historia/index.html)
• Braudel, Fernand, The Perspective of the World, Vol. III of Civilization and Capitalism, 1984.
• Report of the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice (http://www.brown.edu/Research/
Slavery_Justice/documents/SlaveryAndJustice.pdf)
Article Sources and Contributors 17

Article Sources and Contributors

Colonial Brazil  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=610436699  Contributors: 172, Aldux, Alexander Domanda, Andrelvis, Andrwsc, Anonymous from the 21st century, Antonio
Basto, Ariel Pontes, Arjayay, Astynax, Attilios, Awiseman, Biblbroks, Calliopejen1, Cerebralpayne, Cnilep, Cometstyles, Commander Keane, Common Man, Conquerist, Cristiano Tomás,
DO'Neil, David Kernow, Davidandrade, Dedden, Domaleixo, Donner60, Dorftrottel, Faunas, Felipe Menegaz, FilipeS, Fosterroad, Fsouza, Gadfium, GenQuest, Gidonb, Gilgamesh he, Gimferrer,
GoingBatty, Goustien, Gratru, Grenzer22, Ground Zero, Guilherme Paula, Harry Tudor, Hchc2009, Insurgente, Intgr, InvisibleK, Jam01, JesseW, Jiang, Joaopais, Johanna-Hypatia, John Ericson,
John of Reading, JohnCD, Jomifica, Jorge Stolfi, Joseba, Joseph Solis in Australia, Jprg1966, K6ka, Kateshortforbob, Kozuch, Leadwind, Leandrod, Lecen, Licor, Lihaas, Limongi, Lomibz,
Look2See1, Lulu Margarida, M5891, Magioladitis, Manxruler, Mario Žamić, Miguel in Portugal, Minority Report, Mogism, Mouramoor, Nima1024, Nk, O cara, Omnipaedista, PaddyViking,
Patriotadoseculo, Peyre, Pharaoh of the Wizards, Piccolo Modificatore Laborioso, Pietro, Plrk, Purpleturple, Renatokeshet, Rich Farmbrough, Rsabbatini, Rsmelt, S. Neuman, Sammy Houston,
Sardanaphalus, Savvyjack23, Sbalfour, SelfQ, Shanker Pur, ShelfSkewed, Sitenl, Skr15081997, Smtchahal, Spitfire19, StanZegel, Stwalkerster, Syrthiss, TRAJAN 117, Tcr25, Template
namespace initialisation script, Texcarson, The Illusive Man, The Ogre, Theoboyd, Thuresson, Tiberti, Tommy2010, Tonyjeff, Tuckerresearch, Unobjectionable, Velho, Welsh, Wetman, Wilfried
Derksen, Wizard191, Woohookitty, XPTO, Yintan, Zoroastr, Zscout370, 192 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Blank.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Blank.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Bastique, Chlewey, ChrisDHDR, It Is Me Here, Jed, Paradoctor,
Patrick, Penubag, Rocket000, Roomba, Timeroot, Tintazul
File:Flag United Kingdom Portugal Brazil Algarves.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_United_Kingdom_Portugal_Brazil_Algarves.svg  License: Public Domain
 Contributors: Tonyjeff, based on ancient national symbol.
File:Flag Princes of Brazil.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_Princes_of_Brazil.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Tonyjeff, based on ancient national
symbol.
File:Brazil colonial blason.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Brazil_colonial_blason.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Tonyjeff
File:Brazil states1789.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Brazil_states1789.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors:
Electionworld, Fadesga, Man vyi, Pedro Aguiar, Quissamã, Raphael.lorenzeto, Shadowxfox, 1 anonymous edits
File:Coat of arms of Brazil.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Coat_of_arms_of_Brazil.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Brazilian Government
File:Flag of Brazil.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Brazil.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Anomie
File:Brazil 16thc map.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Brazil_16thc_map.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Pedro Reinel, Jorge Reinel, Lopo Homem
(mapmakers), and António de Holanda (miniaturist)
image:Brazilwood tree in Vitória, ES, Brazil.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Brazilwood_tree_in_Vitória,_ES,_Brazil.jpg  License: Public domain  Contributors:
Rodrigo Silveira Camargo at en.wikipedia
File:Capitanias.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Capitanias.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Luís Teixeira
File:Pelourinho1-CCBY.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pelourinho1-CCBY.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: elicrisko
File:SPedroAldeia-JesuitChurch.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SPedroAldeia-JesuitChurch.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Fulviusbsas
File:Engenho com capela.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Engenho_com_capela.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Bukk, Dornicke, Jurema Oliveira,
Tohma, Umherirrender
File:StFranciscoChurch1-CCBY.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StFranciscoChurch1-CCBY.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors:
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