Washington Luís facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Washington Luís
Official portrait, 1926
President of Brazil
In office 15 November 1926 – 24 October 1930
Vice President	Melo Viana
Preceded by	Artur Bernardes
Succeeded by	Military Junta (interim)
Other offices held 1925–1926 Senator for São Paulo 1920–1924 President of São Paulo 1914–1919 Mayor of São Paulo 1912–1913 State Deputy of São Paulo 1906–1912 Secretary of Justice of São Paulo 1904–1906 State Deputy of São Paulo 1898–1899 Mayor of Batatais 1897–1898 Councillor of Batatais
Personal details
Born	(1869-10-26)26 October 1869 Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil
Died	4 August 1957(1957-08-04) (aged 87) São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Political party	PRP
Spouse	Sofia Paes de Barros ​ ​ (m. 1900; died 1934)​
Children	Florinda Rafael Luís Caio Luís Vítor Luís
Parents	Joaquim Luís Pereira de Sousa (father) Florinda Sá Pinto (mother)
Alma mater	Faculty of Law of Largo de São Francisco
Signature

Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (born October 26, 1869 – died August 4, 1957) was an important Brazilian politician. He became the 13th president of Brazil. Before that, he was elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920.

Washington Luís was part of the Republican Party of São Paulo (PRP). He was the last president of the First Brazilian Republic, which was a period when Brazil was a republic for the first time. During his time as president, a big economic problem called the Great Depression hit the world. This made him lose a lot of support. He chose his friend Júlio Prestes to be the next president in 1930. However, just a few weeks before his term ended, Washington Luís was removed from power. This happened during a sudden change in government called the Brazilian Revolution of 1930. A group of military leaders took over for a short time.

Early Life and Political Start

Washington Luís in 1914

Washington Luís was born in Macaé, a city in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His family had roots from Portugal. He later moved to São Paulo, where he went to school. In 1891, he finished his law degree at the University of São Paulo Law School.

After studying law, he started his political journey. He worked as a prosecutor for a short time. Then, he moved to Batatais, São Paulo, where he became an alderman (a local council member). He even served as the mayor of Batatais from 1898 to 1899. This was the beginning of his rise in politics.

Rising Through the Ranks

Washington Luís continued to gain experience in government. He was elected as a congressman in 1900. Later, he became a state representative for the Paulista Republican Party (PRP) from 1904 to 1906. During this time, he helped update the Constitution of São Paulo state.

From 1906 to 1912, he held a very important job as the Secretary of State of Justice and Public Safety. This role involved overseeing justice and keeping the public safe in São Paulo. He then served again as a state representative.

In 1914, he became the mayor of São Paulo city. He held this position until 1919. During his time as mayor, he had to deal with a big event: the general strike of 1917, where many workers stopped working to demand better conditions. After being mayor, he became the governor of São Paulo state from 1920 to 1924. He even helped fight against a group of rebels in 1924. From 1925 to 1926, he served as a senator for São Paulo.

Becoming President

Washington Luís and his cabinet, 1926

Washington Luís was elected president of Brazil in a direct election. He officially took office on November 15, 1926. His presidency was a time of big changes and challenges for Brazil.

One of his first actions was to end the Prestes Column, a group of rebels who had been causing trouble. They moved into Bolivia and then broke up. His government was no longer threatened by these rebellions. However, to control new protest movements, he created a law in 1927. This law limited freedom of the press and the right to gather in groups.

The world faced a huge economic problem in 1929, known as the stock market crash. This event, which started in the United States, affected many countries, including Brazil. Brazil's economy relied heavily on coffee exports. The price of coffee dropped a lot in the international market. This crisis made things very difficult for Washington Luís's government.

The End of His Presidency

Washington Luís with the presidential sash, c. 1926

For many years, Brazil had a political system called "coffee with milk politics." This meant that the president would usually be from São Paulo (coffee-producing state) or Minas Gerais (milk-producing state). The next president was expected to be from Minas Gerais. However, Washington Luís chose his friend, Júlio Prestes, who was also from São Paulo, to be the next president in 1930.

Júlio Prestes won the election on March 1, 1930. But many people believed the election was unfair. Things got worse when João Pessoa, a politician who was running for vice president with Getúlio Vargas, was killed on July 26, 1930. Even though it was later found that his death was not for political reasons, it sparked a lot of anger.

This event, combined with the coffee crisis, led to a major uprising. On October 3, 1930, a movement known as the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 began. President Washington Luís was removed from power by the military on October 24. A temporary military government took over.

The deposed president leaves the Guanabara Palace after the 1930 military coup d'état (October 24).

After being removed from office, Washington Luís went to live in Europe and the United States. He returned to Brazil seventeen years later, in 1947. He settled in São Paulo and spent his time studying history. He was a respected member of several historical and cultural organizations. A major highway in São Paulo, the Rodovia Washington Luís, is named in his honor.

Later Life and Death

Washington Luís passed away in São Paulo on August 4, 1957, at the age of 87.

See also

In Spanish: Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa para niños