Empire of Brazil Facts for Kids

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

Quick facts for kids Empire of Brazil Império do Brasil
1822–1889
Flag Imperial coat of arms
Motto: Independência ou Morte! "Independence or Death!"
Anthem: Anthem of Independence(1822-1831) Brazilian National Anthem (1831–1889)
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
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	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 country in South America during the 1800s. It was a constitutional monarchy, which means it had an emperor as its leader, but his power was limited by a constitution and a parliament. The Empire covered the land that is now Brazil and Uruguay.

Brazil was once a colony of the Portuguese Empire. In 1808, the Portuguese royal family, led by João VI, moved to Brazil to escape a French invasion of Portugal. This made Brazil the center of the Portuguese Empire for a while. When João returned to Portugal, he left his son Pedro in charge of Brazil.

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

Brazil Becomes Independent
- The Reign of Pedro I
- Pedro II's Long Rule
Ending Slavery in Brazil
- The Golden Law
The End of the Empire
- A New Government
Images for kids
See also

Brazil Becomes Independent

On September 7, 1822, Pedro declared Brazil to be an independent Empire. The people cheered him on, and he became Emperor Pedro I. This was a huge step for Brazil, as it was no longer a colony.

The Reign of Pedro I

Pedro I ruled for several years. However, in 1831, he decided to return to Portugal. He gave up his role as Emperor of Brazil and left his young son, Pedro II, to become the next emperor.

Pedro II's Long Rule

Pedro II became emperor when he was very young. His time as emperor was long and important for Brazil. During his rule, Brazil experienced many years of economic growth and political stability. The country also fought in three international wars.

Ending Slavery in Brazil

The imperial family of Brazil, including Emperor Pedro I and Emperor Pedro II, wanted to end slavery. This was a big goal for them.

The Golden Law

On May 13, 1888, Princess Isabel signed a very important document called the Golden Law. She signed it on behalf of her father, Emperor Pedro II. This law officially ended slavery in Brazil. At that time, Brazil was one of the last major countries in the world to abolish slavery.

The End of the Empire

Some plantation owners were unhappy about slavery being abolished. They joined a movement that wanted Brazil to become a republic instead of an empire. This movement was led by Deodoro da Fonseca, a military leader.

A New Government

On November 15, 1889, a coup happened, which means the government was taken over by force. The empire was ended, and Brazil became a republic. The imperial family was sent away from Brazil. Those who disagreed with the new government faced difficulties.

Images for kids

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
The City Palace, seat of the Brazilian Imperial government, in 1840
Recife, capital of Pernambuco (Brazilian northeast), two years after the end of the Praieira revolt
A locomotive in Bahia province (Brazilian northeast), c. 1859
A construction site in the docks of Recife, 1862
Brazilian artillery in position during the Paraguayan War, 1866
Brazilian soldiers kneeling before a religious procession during the Paraguayan War, 1868
Slaves on a farm in the province of Minas Gerais, 1876
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
A coffee farm in São Paulo province, 1880
A Brazilian factory, 1880
Railroad station in São Paulo province (Brazilian southeast), c. 1885
A railroad station in Minas Gerais province (Brazilian southeast), c. 1884
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
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
German and Luxembourger immigrants in Santa Leopoldina colony in Espírito Santo province (southeast region), 1875
A Brazilian family and its female house slaves, c. 1860
Slaves and their free children on a coffee farm in Brazil, c. 1885
A state ceremony in the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro; the attendees are wearing court dress.
Brazilian friars c. 1875
Morro da Viúva (Widow's mount), by França Júnior, c. 1888
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