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Empire of Brazil facts for kids

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This page is about the 19th century empire. For other articles about Brazil, see Brazil (disambiguation).
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Empire of Brazil

Império do Brasil
1822–1889
Motto: Independência ou Morte!
"Independence or Death!"
Anthem: Anthem of Independence(1822-1831)

Brazilian National Anthem (1831–1889)
Map of South America with the Empire of Brazil highlighted in green
The Empire of Brazil including the former Cisplatina province.
Capital Rio de Janeiro
22°54′30″S 43°11′47″W / 22.90833°S 43.19639°W / -22.90833; -43.19639
Common languages Portuguese
Religion
Roman Catholic
Government Constitutional monarchy parliamentary unitary state representative democracy
Emperor of Brazil  
• 1822–1831
 Pedro I
• 1831–1889
 Pedro II
Legislature General Assembly
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
Historical era 19th century
• Independence
 7 September 1822
• Accession of Pedro I
 12 October 1822
• Imperial Constitution adopted
 25 March 1824
• Accession of Pedro II
 7 April 1831
• Slavery abolished
 13 May 1888
• Monarchy abolished
 15 November 1889
Currency Real
ISO 3166 code BR

The Empire of Brazil was a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy of the nineteenth century that covered the areas of modern Brazil and Uruguay. Brazil was originally a colony of the Portuguese Empire but became its center when the Prince Regent João VI fled the French invasion of Portugal in 1808. When João returned to Portugal he left his son Pedro as regent of the autonomous Kingdom of Brazil.

Independence of Brazil 1888
Declaration of the independence of Brazil on September 7, 1822.

On 7 September 1822, Pedro declared Brazil to be an independent Empire and was acclaimed by the people as emperor. However, in 1831 he was able to return to Portugal. He abdicated the Brazilian throne and left his young son Pedro II as emperor. His reign saw three international wars and decades of economic prosperity and political stability.

Pedro I, Pedro II and the imperial family of Brazil wanted the abolition of slavery, and on 13 May 1888 the imperial princess regent, Isabel de Bragança and Bourbon signed the Golden Law on behalf of her father, ending slavery in Brazil. By that time, Brazil had become the last major nation to have slavery. Former plantation owners, dissatisfied with the abolition of slavery, joined the republican movement led by Deodoro da Fonseca, an elderly Marshal, to carry out a Coup d'etat and install a republic which became Brazil's first dictatorship on November 15, 1889. The imperial family was exiled, and the Republican government persecuted, tortured and killed all those who opposed the regime.


Images for kids

  • Brazil provinces 1825 (edit)

    The Empire of Brazil (RS=Rio Grande do Sul, RN=Rio Grande do Norte, PB=Paraíba, PE=Pernambuco, AL=Alagoas, SE=Sergipe), c. 1824. Neutral Municipality is Rio de Janeiro, the imperial capital within the province of the same name

  • Paço imperial 1840

    The City Palace, seat of the Brazilian Imperial government, in 1840

  • Recife 1851 03

    Recife, capital of Pernambuco (Brazilian northeast), two years after the end of the Praieira revolt

  • Locomotive in Bahia province 1859

    A locomotive in Bahia province (Brazilian northeast), c. 1859

  • Construction site in Recife 1862

    A construction site in the docks of Recife, 1862

  • Brazilian artillery 1866

    Brazilian artillery in position during the Paraguayan War, 1866

  • Procession in Paraguay 1868

    Brazilian soldiers kneeling before a religious procession during the Paraguayan War, 1868

  • Congado in Minas Gerais 1876 alt

    Slaves on a farm in the province of Minas Gerais, 1876

  • Povo paço 1888

    A few moments after signing the Golden Law, Princess Isabel is greeted from the central balcony of the City Palace by a huge crowd below in the street

  • Fazenda Santa Genebra São Paulo 1880

    A coffee farm in São Paulo province, 1880

  • Fabrica brasil 1880

    A Brazilian factory, 1880

  • Railroad station brazil 1885

    Railroad station in São Paulo province (Brazilian southeast), c. 1885

  • Railroad station in minas gerais 1884

    A railroad station in Minas Gerais province (Brazilian southeast), c. 1884

  • Brasileiros do seculo XIX

    19th-century Brazilians. 1st row: White Brazilians. 2nd row: Brown Brazilians (left to right: two female mulattoes, two female cafuzos and a caboclo girl and man). 3rd row: three Brazilian Indians of different tribes followed by Afro-Brazilians of distinct ethnic background

  • Empire of Brazil ethnic groups (edit)

    This map shows where ethnic groups predominated within Brazil: purple—caboclos; brown—whites; green—mulattoes; white—sparsely populated. Note: over 80% of the population lived along the coastline

  • Germans and luxembourgers in brazil 1875

    German and Luxembourger immigrants in Santa Leopoldina colony in Espírito Santo province (southeast region), 1875

  • Family and slave house servants by Klumb 1860

    A Brazilian family and its female house slaves, c. 1860

  • Slaves in coffee farm by marc ferrez 1885

    Slaves and their free children on a coffee farm in Brazil, c. 1885

  • Acclamation of Princess Isabel 1887

    A state ceremony in the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro; the attendees are wearing court dress.

  • Brazilian friars 1875

    Brazilian friars c. 1875

  • Joaquim José da França Júnior, Morro da Viúva, circa 1888

    Morro da Viúva (Widow's mount), by França Júnior, c. 1888

  • Three brazilian writers 1858

    A photograph dating from c. 1858, showing three major Brazilian Romantic writers. From left to right: Gonçalves Dias, Manuel de Araújo Porto Alegre and Gonçalves de Magalhães

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Imperio del Brasil para niños

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