Independence of Brazil — Series of political events that occurred in Brazil between 1821 and 1824
Brazil's 1822 declaration of independence ended Portuguese colonial rule and established the Empire of Brazil as a sovereign state.
Key Facts
- Declaration date
- 7 September 1822
- Declared by
- Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza
- Pedro crowned Emperor
- 1 December 1822
- Portuguese recognition
- Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, 29 August 1825
- Duration of conflict
- Approximately 4 years (1821–1825)
- Compensation paid to Portugal
- Required as condition of recognition
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 1807, the French invasion of Portugal forced the royal family to relocate to Brazil, elevating it to kingdom status by 1815. Following a liberal revolution in Portugal in 1820, King John VI returned to Lisbon, leaving his son Pedro as prince regent. Portuguese courts sought to strip Pedro of his political authority and revert Brazil to colonial status, provoking his refusal to return and his decision to rebel.
On 7 September 1822, beside the Ipiranga brook in São Paulo, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza proclaimed Brazil's independence from Portugal in the event known as the Cry of Ipiranga. Pedro was subsequently acclaimed Emperor of Brazil on 12 October 1822 and formally crowned on 1 December 1822, establishing the Empire of Brazil. A war of independence against remaining Portuguese forces continued across several provinces.
After four years of armed conflict, Portugal formally recognized Brazilian independence through the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro on 29 August 1825. In exchange, Brazil agreed to pay compensation to Portugal and signed treaties with the United Kingdom committing to ban the Atlantic slave trade and grant preferential tariffs to British goods. A republican uprising in Pernambuco, the Confederation of the Equator, was harshly suppressed during this period.
Political Outcome
Brazil became an independent sovereign state, the Empire of Brazil, with Pedro I as Emperor; Portugal recognized independence in 1825.
Kingdom of Brazil under the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves
Independent Empire of Brazil