Cultural Influences and Independence, Brazil
From “Brief Glance into History” in Brazil and the Brazilians by George James Bruce, 1914.
From: 1550 C.E. To: 1914 C.E.
Location: Brazil
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From “Brief Glance into History” in Brazil and the Brazilians by George James Bruce, 1914.
With the development of sugar plantations, slaves from Africa were introduced to Brazil about the year 1550. Troubles with the French occurred intermittent throughout the century. An attempt by Huguenots to establish a colony in Rio Bay in 1555 was disastrous, and led to the Portuguese establishing a royal captaincy there for the protection of the southern coast.
In 1580 the country passed with Portugal to the Spanish Crown, and the closing years of the century saw the coasts and settlements alternately ravaged by French, British, Dutch, and Spanish fleets. In 1583 and 1591 Santos was taken and held for short periods by the British, but no attempts seem to have been made by them to annex the Brazilian colonies.
During these years the Brazilian pioneers seem to have generally resisted all invaders; and in 1608 a general government for the south of Brazil was formed, with its headquarters at Rio de Janeiro. There were then two Governor-Generals, one Diogo de Menezes at Bahia, and Francisco de Souza at Rio de Janeiro. This arrangement worked well for several years. The northern government had a difficult task to keep the Dutch and French from getting a footing on the north coast.
In 1612 the French fortified themselves at a point in Maranhao they called St Louis, now San Luiz. They were expelled from this in 1614, only a few who had married native women being allowed to remain.
During the next year the Dutch who had established a colony at Para were attacked and finally driven out in 1625. For over thirty years at this time the Dutch fought the Portu- guese and Spanish for Brazil. In 1617 the Rio de Janeiro government was suppressed, and Bahia became again the sole capital. Seven years later a northern government, to control the States of Para, Maranhao, and Ceara, was established with its capital at San Luiz. Bahia was taken by the Dutch in 1624, but they were ejected by a combined Spanish and Portuguese fleet in 1625. During the following twenty years the Dutch captured and occupied nearly all the remaining ports and colonies in the country, and in 1636 Prince Maurice of Nassau was sent out as Dutch Governor-General of Brazil.
After Portugal had successfully revolted from Spanish rule in 1640, the Marquis de Montalvao was appointed Viceroy of Brazil. The new King of Portugal was immediately accepted by the Brazilians as their sovereign. After a short armistice, the Brazilians assisted by the Portuguese fleet, commenced a determined campaign for the dislodgement of the Dutch. Port after port fell into their hands, till in January 1654 all the Dutch possessions in Brazil had surrendered.
About this time the half-breed descendants of the southern settlers began to explore and take up the country north and west from the port of Sao Vicente, or Santos. These "mamelukes" as they were called, spread out till they reached the Paraguay River and got into conflict with the Spanish who had settled west of the Uruguay. In 1680 a colony was founded on the River Plate by a party from Rio de Janeiro. This was ceded to Spain in 1777.
Much more important to Brazil were the activities of the mamelukes, or "Paulistas" as they came to be called from the name of their capitanea Sao Paulo, to the north-east of their territory.
Before the century closed several expeditions had gone from Taubate the capital, in search of the gems and precious metals known to exist plentifully somewhere in the interior. Indians, who brought diamonds, emeralds, and gold in increasing quantities to the coastal settlements, as they became acquainted with the purchasing power of these things, told of plentiful supplies in the back country. The Paulistas met with many reverses in their attempts to discover the El Dorado, but at length found important gold and silver mines; and diamonds, emeralds, tourmalines, beryls, garnets, amethysts, topazes, and rock crystals were also discovered in considerable quantities. The news of this getting through the rest of Brazil and into Europe, led to events that opened a new chapter in the history of the country.
The eighteenth century opened with further attempts by France to get Brazil. In 1711 a powerful fleet, with a large landing party, actually seized and held Rio de Janeiro but evacuated it in a few days on payment of a ransom. About this time Brazil was also troubled by rebellions in several capitaneas. Away in the far north the French were driven over the River Oyapock, which by a treaty between France and Portugal in 1713, was fixed as the northern boundary of Brazil. In 1755 and 1758 laws were passed forbidding the enslavement of Indians, and an agitation for the entire suppression of the slave traffic made much headway.
During the first half of this century four new capitaneas, or provinces, were created. These were Goyaz, Matto Grosso, Santa Catherina, and Minas Geraes. In 1749, by direction of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, the Jesuits were expelled from Brazil, and State education was established. Laws for the regulation of mining, trading, and dealing in land were also enacted and put into operation by the Crown of Portugal under the advice of this zealous and strong-minded Minister. In 1762 the capital was transferred from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. Here it has remained ever since. The population of Rio at the time of the transference is said to have been about 30,000.
The year 1789 was notable for an attempt made in Minas Geraes to set going a movement that aimed at the independence of Brazil. Minas Geraes was the mining camp of Brazil. To it had been attracted adventurous spirits from many countries. The period was the time of great political unrest and turmoil in Europe and North America.
The doctrine of Republicanism was being preached in Brazil, as well as in these continents. It was brought to Minas just when the miners and settlers were chafing under legal restrictions that seemed to hamper progress. The Captain-General of the province, and the central government at Rio de Janeiro were the most unpopular.
A number of the leading men of Minas, led by a dentist named Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, plotted to overthrow the Portuguese authority and declare a republic. Their scheme had not been put into operation when it was divulged to the Government, and the leaders were all arrested and tried. A number of them were condemned to death.
The sentences were however commuted by the Queen of Portugal to deportation to Africa, excepting in the case of Xavier, popularly known as “Tiradentes” (draw teeth). He was hanged, drawn, and quartered in Rio, and portions of his body were sent to be exhibited in the centres of disaffection. Tiradentes’ last words on the scaffold—”Cumpri a minha palavra; morro pela Liberdade” (I have kept my word; I die for Liberty) are embalmed in modern Brazilian literature, and frequently quoted as one of the highest sentiments of Republicanism.
The beginning of the nineteenth century saw a population of over three millions in Brazil, and the country enjoying a yearly trade with Europe exceeding in value four million pound sterling. The war between Spain and Portugal in 1801 affected their colonies.
Brazil entered on a war first with her Spanish neighbours in the south, annexing Uruguay after a prolonged struggle. In the meantime in the far north she captured Cayenne, and the whole of French Guiana was added to Brazil. Uruguay subsequently freed itself from her control, and was annexed by Buenos Aires. After much fighting over it, Brazil and Buenos Aires agreed to have the territory proclaimed an independent State under the title of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. French Guiana was restored to France by the Treaty of Vienna in 1815.
In 1807 King Joāo of Portugal, then Prince Regent, under pressure from Napoleon removed his court and the crown from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. The transference of the Royal court to Brazil was accompanied by muc pomp and ceremonial. A British fleet attended to protect the Royal squadron out of the French danger zone. On the way to Rio the Royal party visited Bahia, and eventually reaching their destination, landed amidst scenes of great acclamation.
A proclamation was issued immediately on the Royal court’s arrival, throwing Brazilian ports open to the commerce of all nations. By Royal Charter, of December 16, 1815. Brazil was raised to the rank of a kingdom and associated on an equal footing with Portugal.
In 1821 the King was recalled to Portugal by the Parliament, or Cortes, which had been established. He left his son Dom Pedro I as Regent of Brazil, with a ministry of Portuguese advisers. Dom Pedro at once proceeded to arrange for the government of Brazil on the constitutional lines adopted then in Portugal.
The Portuguese Government, however, would not concede Brazil self-government, and vetoed what was done, also ordering Dom Pedro to return to Portugal. This he declined to do, dismissed his Portuguese ministers, and formed a new ministry of Brazilians, with an eminent Paulista, Jose Bonifacio d’Andrada, as its leader. An appeal was made to Brazilian sentiment by the convocation of a national convention to consider the position. The time proved right for a great step, and a new and independent nation emerged from the mould.
Bruce, George James. Brazil and the Brazilians. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1914.
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