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Dom Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil

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Alcebiades View Drop Down
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Dom Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil
    Posted: 06-Sep-2012 at 21:55
Is  today's featured article on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_I_of_Brazil

He was a portuguese prince who decided that ruling Brazil was cooler than ruling Portugal, so he declared the Brazillian Independence and founded the Empire of Brazil, the only monarchy to have ever existed on the Americas.  He even married a Hapsburg princes, Maria Leopoldine von Österreich, archduchess of Austria, with whom he had a son, Pedro II, who turned out to be quite a capable prince and ruled the empire of Brazil rather successfully for 58 years. Pedro II, though born in Brazil, had 100% pure european blue blood, being a legitimate heir to two of the most important dynasties in Europe, the House of Braganza(cadet branch of the Bourbons) and the House of Hapsuburghs 

Just bringing this up cause im Brazillian, =-)
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  Quote Lecen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 09:08
The House of Braganza is not a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, but of the House of Aviz, itself a cadet branch of the House of Burgundy. All three houses belong to the Capetian Dynasty.
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 11:12
Yea, you're right, the house of Braganza is a cadet branch of the Capets, but so are the Bourbons. Anyway, I guess they featured Pedro I because today is independence day here in Brazil. Here is a short chronology of the Brazillian Independence:

1806 - Napoleon Bonaparte declares the "continental blockage", forbidding all european countries to trade with England. Portugal, a long time standing ally of England, refuses the French Emperor. Even though in decline, the Portuguese Empire still was one of the leading producers of some important commodities, primarily gold, gemstones and sugar.

1807 - As a reprisal, Napoleon invades Portugal. The portuguese king, Dom Joao VI, flees to Brazil with the entire portuguese court. They are escorted by the english fleet to then small town of Rio de Janeiro, in southeast Brazil.

1815 - Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo. The portuguese royal family however refuses to return to Portugal, having taken a fancy to Brazil. Brazil, unlike Europe, had no plague, wars or harsh winters.

1820 - The portuguese parliament sends an ultimatum to king Dom Joao VI, threatening to remove his crown if he doesnt return to Portugal. The king obliges, leaving his son Pedro to rule Brazil in his stead.

1822 - The portuguese parliament decided to return Brazil to its former state of colony, revoking several privileges that Brazillians had enjoyed while Rio de Janeiro was the de facto capital of the empire. The Brazillians obviously didnt like that, but they were also afraid of condemning their souls to eternal damnation should they rise in revolt against their rightful king. They resolved that dilemna by convincing prince Pedro to stay, and declared him "emperor of Brazil". Pedro was a light handed monarch, and left most of the affairs of state to his competent minister, the liberal Jose Bonifacio de Andrada. Pedro's wife, the Habsuburgh princess Marie Leopoldine, is famous for saying: My husband, God help us, loves the new ideas

Pedro's worst excesses as a monarch was bestowing nobility titles upon his numerous lovers, the most famous of which was Domitila de Castro, a port whore whom he turned into the countess of Santos.



Edited by Alcebiades - 07-Sep-2012 at 12:01
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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 11:26
Happy Independence Day, guys!Smile
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 14:08
Continuing with my short chronology of the history of the Brazillian empire, cause its holiday and I have nothing better to do, = ). Please keep in mind that Im just an amateur historian, and most of this stuff I learned 10 years ago in high-school. Thankfully I have wikipedia to help me with the exact dates.

1825 - Dom Pedro I calls for the abolition of slavery, but is overruled by the brazilian parliament(who were, you would never guess, rich white man who owned slaves). He is famous for saying: It grieves me to see my fellow humans giving me tributes appropriate for God, I know that my blood is the same color as that of the Negroes. Brazil would become the last western country to abolish african slavery, only in 1885.

1826 - Portugal and England recognize Brazil as an independent country.

1831 - Dom Pedro I is forced to return to Portugal to fight his brother Miguel, who was causing trouble at his home country. He abdicates the brazillian throne in favor of his son, Dom Pedro II. He left a letter to the young prince, still preserved in a brazillian museum, in which he states: The era in which princes were respected solely because they are simply princes has ended; in the century in which we live, in which the peoples are quite well informed of their rights, it is necessary that princes should be and also should know that they are men and not divinities, that for them knowledge and good sense are indispensable so that they are the more quickly loved than respected." He concluded: "The respect of a free people for their ruler ought to be born of the conviction which they hold that their ruler is capable of making them achieve that level of felicity they aspire to; and if such is not the case, unhappy ruler, unhappy people."

The most influential figure in the history of the Empire of Brazil after the Emperor, was his prime-minister and best friend, a very wise man named Jose Bonifacio de Andrade e Silva. An intelectual man well versed in Plato and Voltaire, he was pretty much a tropical version of Thomas Jefferson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Bonif%C3%A1cio_de_Andrada

I'll do Pedro II later



Edited by Alcebiades - 07-Sep-2012 at 14:18
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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 14:15
DoM=Wide interior!Was he a fat man on pictures or name says about His houses?SmileWhy did Portugal and
Spain avoid North America as colonial state,Alceblade?Happy independence Day to You!
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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 14:59
Very interesting thread about a guy I know nothing about! Thanks!
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 15:43
.

Edited by Alcebiades - 07-Sep-2012 at 15:46
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2012 at 15:45
Originally posted by Alcebiades

[QUOTE=medenaywe]DoM=Wide interior!Was he a fat man on pictures or name says about His houses?SmileWhy did Portugal and
Spain avoid North America as colonial state,Alceblade?Happy independence Day to You!

1-) Dom is the portuguese word for "Lord". Its equivalent to the spanish "Don" or de french "De"

2-)Because the spanish and the portuguese were mainly interested in commercial goods, especially gold and sugar(sugar was as valuable as gold on the early modern period). The tropical climate and mineral riches of South America were all they could hope for. Keep in mind that North America and South America received two completely different types of colonization. Imperial Brazil most closely resembled the southern U.S before the Civil War, an agricultural State producing tropical goods for exportation, ruled by a white oligarchy with european roots. Both also had little regard for african-americans in general. Brazil would only start its industrialization process on the 1930's.



Edited by Alcebiades - 07-Sep-2012 at 15:48
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Sep-2012 at 19:09
Pedro's son (also called Pedro) enjoyed a long reign until he was overthrown by army officers. The coup had little popular support and within a few years of his death Pedro II was praised as the greatest Brazilian
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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-Sep-2012 at 00:23
Sorry I am out of Your story about Pedro.Dom=Wide interior here means Home!Smile
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-Sep-2012 at 20:22
Imagine if Elizabeth II did something similar when India declared independence in 1947. With both self-determination and a queen, India and Pakistan might remain unified and, ultimately, rule over England after George's death
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  Quote Alcebiades Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-Sep-2012 at 19:36
Originally posted by Nick1986

Pedro's son (also called Pedro) enjoyed a long reign until he was overthrown by army officers. The coup had little popular support and within a few years of his death Pedro II was praised as the greatest Brazilian

Indeed. In fact, Brazil was much better off with the Empire than under the military junta that immediately succeeded it. The Emperor was a liberal and a cosmopolitan, while the military was reactionary and provincial. Many of Brazil's problem can be traced back to the fall of the empire. Dom Pedro II and his daughter, Princess Isabel, are still beloved by  Brazilians, particularly by negroes and small folk in general, their gentleness is legendary. 


Edited by Alcebiades - 21-Sep-2012 at 19:41
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  Quote Delenda est Roma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-Sep-2012 at 23:16
Dom Pedro I seems to have been an excellent enlightened despot, administratively, militarily and politically.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-Sep-2012 at 21:07
Originally posted by Alcebiades

Originally posted by Nick1986

Pedro's son (also called Pedro) enjoyed a long reign until he was overthrown by army officers. The coup had little popular support and within a few years of his death Pedro II was praised as the greatest Brazilian

Indeed. In fact, Brazil was much better off with the Empire than under the military junta that immediately succeeded it. The Emperor was a liberal and a cosmopolitan, while the military was reactionary and provincial. Many of Brazil's problem can be traced back to the fall of the empire. Dom Pedro II and his daughter, Princess Isabel, are still beloved by  Brazilians, particularly by negroes and small folk in general, their gentleness is legendary. 

How come a movement didn't emerge to restore the monarchy: either the king or his daughter Isabel?
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  Quote LeopoldPhilippe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-Jun-2015 at 20:07
It was thanks to Empress Maria Leopoldina that the basic color scheme of the Brazilian flag, green and yellow, was chosen to illustrate the marriage of the Houses of Braganza and Hapsburg.
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  Quote LeopoldPhilippe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Jun-2015 at 20:11
Emperor Pedro I was a very skilled woodworker and musician.       

As Pedro's father departed for Portugal, he told Pedro that if Brazil started moving towards independence, he should not fight it, but make sure that he was crowned Emperor.   
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  Quote J.A.W. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Jul-2015 at 00:12
Yeah, I see the O.P. reckoned Pedro was the sole example of a direct 'monarchy' in the Americas..
..but what about the hapless Hapsburg, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico?
Be Modest In Thyself..
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