history of Brazil
Quick Summary
Brazil's history is marked by a relatively peaceful transition to independence compared to its Spanish American counterparts. Initially claimed by Portugal in 1500, Brazil was a fringe territory, less profitable than ventures in Africa and India. The discovery of gold in Minas Gerais in the late 17th century led to growth and the establishment of Rio de Janeiro as the capital.12
The Portuguese court's relocation to Rio de Janeiro in 1808 was a pivotal moment, integrating Brazil and making a return to colonial status untenable. In 1822, Prince Dom Pedro declared Brazil's independence, becoming its first emperor. While the nation experienced regional revolts, its territorial and economic integrity remained largely intact, ensuring stability.345
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footballSouth AmericaBrazil is believed to be the second South American country where the game was established. Charles Miller, a leading player in England, came to Brazil in 1894 and introduced football in São Paulo; that city’s athletic club was the first to take up the sport.…
Read MoreBrazil is believed to be the second South American country where the game was established. Charles Miller, a leading player in England, came to Brazil in 1894 and introduced football in São Paulo; that city’s athletic club was the first to take up the sport.…
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footballStrategy and tacticsInternationally, Brazil became the greatest symbol of individualistic, flowing football. Brazil borrowed the 4-2-4 formation founded in Uruguay to win the 1958 World Cup; the tournament was widely televised, thus helping Brazil’s highly skilled players capture the world’s imagination. For the 1962 tournament in Chile, Brazil…
Read MoreInternationally, Brazil became the greatest symbol of individualistic, flowing football. Brazil borrowed the 4-2-4 formation founded in Uruguay to win the 1958 World Cup; the tournament was widely televised, thus helping Brazil’s highly skilled players capture the world’s imagination. For the 1962 tournament in Chile, Brazil…
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history of Latin AmericaBrazilThe Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) between Spain and Portugal, dividing the non-European world between them, gave the Portuguese a legal claim to a large part of the area to be called Brazil. The Portuguese came upon the Brazilian coast in 1500 on the way…
Read MoreThe Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) between Spain and Portugal, dividing the non-European world between them, gave the Portuguese a legal claim to a large part of the area to be called Brazil. The Portuguese came upon the Brazilian coast in 1500 on the way…
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history of Latin AmericaBrazil after 1700In the late 17th century the explorations of the Paulistas finally led to the discovery of major gold deposits in a large district inland from Rio de Janeiro that became known as Minas Gerais. As the news spread, outsiders poured into the…
Read MoreIn the late 17th century the explorations of the Paulistas finally led to the discovery of major gold deposits in a large district inland from Rio de Janeiro that became known as Minas Gerais. As the news spread, outsiders poured into the…
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- Latin American architectureOuro Prêto: Brazilian Baroque architecture in the 18th century
…of Baroque architecture emerged in Brazil during the 18th century, such as José Cardoso de Ramalho’s Our Lady of Glory of Outeiro (1714–39) in Rio de Janeiro and the Church of Our Virgin of the Conception (1736–65) in Salvador (Bahia), designed by the engineer Manuel Cardoso da Sadanha. The stone…
Read More…of Baroque architecture emerged in Brazil during the 18th century, such as José Cardoso de Ramalho’s Our Lady of Glory of Outeiro (1714–39) in Rio de Janeiro and the Church of Our Virgin of the Conception (1736–65) in Salvador (Bahia), designed by the engineer Manuel Cardoso da Sadanha. The stone…
Read More - Latin American architectureArchitecture of the new independent republics, c. 1810–70
In Brazil the work of the French architect A.-H.-V. Grand Jean de Montigny dominated the first half of the 19th century. In Rio de Janeiro he designed the new Academy of Fine Arts (1826) as well as the Municipal Market (mid-1800s) and the Plaza of Commerce…
Read MoreIn Brazil the work of the French architect A.-H.-V. Grand Jean de Montigny dominated the first half of the 19th century. In Rio de Janeiro he designed the new Academy of Fine Arts (1826) as well as the Municipal Market (mid-1800s) and the Plaza of Commerce…
Read More - Latin American architectureBrazil
In 1929, when the Swiss architect Le Corbusier was invited to give lectures in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, he was received by countries that were ready to apply and transform European Modernism in the face of the pressing needs of their new and vibrant…
Read MoreIn 1929, when the Swiss architect Le Corbusier was invited to give lectures in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, he was received by countries that were ready to apply and transform European Modernism in the face of the pressing needs of their new and vibrant…
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radioIn Latin AmericaBrazilian AM radio was widely available across South America’s largest country, with music and formats that appealed to less-affluent audiences, such as Brazilian country or popular music, sports, and talk. FM was largely based in cities and played imported music as well as a great…
Read MoreBrazilian AM radio was widely available across South America’s largest country, with music and formats that appealed to less-affluent audiences, such as Brazilian country or popular music, sports, and talk. FM was largely based in cities and played imported music as well as a great…
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radioBrazilBrazilian radio began in 1920 and grew slowly at first. Programs were usually live and included news, variety, comedy, and considerable Brazilian music. To help support these early stations (in addition to their growing advertising revenue), radio clubs were formed, with donations given to…
Read MoreBrazilian radio began in 1920 and grew slowly at first. Programs were usually live and included news, variety, comedy, and considerable Brazilian music. To help support these early stations (in addition to their growing advertising revenue), radio clubs were formed, with donations given to…
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radioRadio in developing countriesBrazilian stations, all of them private, were required to carry a daily government program, but half their time on the air was given over to music. While many countries imported receivers, Chile manufactured enough radios for its own domestic needs. Venezuela combined a state-operated network…
Read MoreBrazilian stations, all of them private, were required to carry a daily government program, but half their time on the air was given over to music. While many countries imported receivers, Chile manufactured enough radios for its own domestic needs. Venezuela combined a state-operated network…
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- House of India
…also controlled the colonization of Brazil and eventually evolved into the government colonial ministry.
Read More…also controlled the colonization of Brazil and eventually evolved into the government colonial ministry.
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PortugalConquest and exploration…territory that was to become Brazil was reserved for Portugal.
Read More…territory that was to become Brazil was reserved for Portugal.
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PortugalSocial and economic conditionsThe discovery of gold in Brazil at the end of the 17th century revived Portugal’s economy, but gold production was in decline by 1750, while the diamond market was saturated. In the later 18th century a series of protectionist measures were introduced, many by Pombal. The Methuen Treaty (1703) with…
Read MoreThe discovery of gold in Brazil at the end of the 17th century revived Portugal’s economy, but gold production was in decline by 1750, while the diamond market was saturated. In the later 18th century a series of protectionist measures were introduced, many by Pombal. The Methuen Treaty (1703) with…
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- Pedro Álvares Cabral
…the first European to reach Brazil (April 22, 1500). (The Spanish explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, who had been on Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America, may have reached Brazil slightly earlier in 1500 than Cabral.) His expedition was also the second from Europe to reach India via the sea route…
Read More…the first European to reach Brazil (April 22, 1500). (The Spanish explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, who had been on Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America, may have reached Brazil slightly earlier in 1500 than Cabral.) His expedition was also the second from Europe to reach India via the sea route…
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Amerigo VespucciVespucci’s voyages…and reached the coast of Brazil toward Cape St. Augustine. The remainder of the voyage is disputed, but Vespucci claimed to have continued southward, and he may have sighted (January 1502) Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro’s bay) and sailed as far as the Río de la Plata, making Vespucci the…
Read More…and reached the coast of Brazil toward Cape St. Augustine. The remainder of the voyage is disputed, but Vespucci claimed to have continued southward, and he may have sighted (January 1502) Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro’s bay) and sailed as far as the Río de la Plata, making Vespucci the…
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ArgentinaDominance of Buenos Aires…by Portuguese and then by Brazilian troops. By 1824 both problems were becoming urgent. Britain was willing to recognize Argentine independence, but only if Argentina established a government that could act for the whole country. And in the Banda Oriental a group of eastern patriots had taken over large sectors…
Read More…by Portuguese and then by Brazilian troops. By 1824 both problems were becoming urgent. Britain was willing to recognize Argentine independence, but only if Argentina established a government that could act for the whole country. And in the Banda Oriental a group of eastern patriots had taken over large sectors…
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BoliviaLiberal rule, 1899–1920…territory of Acre on the Brazilian border. Brazil’s covert support of the rebels and the defeat of Bolivian forces finally convinced the Liberals to sell the territory to Brazil in the Treaty of Petrópolis (1903). As a result of the financial indemnities provided by both treaties, Bolivia was able to…
Read More…territory of Acre on the Brazilian border. Brazil’s covert support of the rebels and the defeat of Bolivian forces finally convinced the Liberals to sell the territory to Brazil in the Treaty of Petrópolis (1903). As a result of the financial indemnities provided by both treaties, Bolivia was able to…
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ParaguayParaguay’s conflicts with its neighbours…attend to border crises with Brazil and Argentina. Those crises convinced him that Paraguayan modernization should proceed along military avenues. Thus, hundreds of foreign engineers, medical workers, scientists, machinists, and advisers were put to work on military projects. López was threatened by a major Brazilian naval expedition on the Paraná…
Read More…attend to border crises with Brazil and Argentina. Those crises convinced him that Paraguayan modernization should proceed along military avenues. Thus, hundreds of foreign engineers, medical workers, scientists, machinists, and advisers were put to work on military projects. López was threatened by a major Brazilian naval expedition on the Paraná…
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LisbonDisaster and reconstruction…gold and diamond deposits of Brazil brought a new flurry of optimism and excitement to Lisbon. Meanwhile, an aqueduct was being built and manufacturing was flourishing. During this time of financial prosperity, churches also were constructed, namely the massive convent of Mafra, about 25 miles (40 km) north of Lisbon.…
Read More…gold and diamond deposits of Brazil brought a new flurry of optimism and excitement to Lisbon. Meanwhile, an aqueduct was being built and manufacturing was flourishing. During this time of financial prosperity, churches also were constructed, namely the massive convent of Mafra, about 25 miles (40 km) north of Lisbon.…
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UruguayThe struggle for national identity…state and a buffer between Brazil and Argentina; the nation’s strategic location also served British interests by guaranteeing that the Río de la Plata would remain an international waterway. On July 18, 1830, when the constitution for the Oriental State of Uruguay was approved, the country had scarcely 74,000 inhabitants.
Read More…state and a buffer between Brazil and Argentina; the nation’s strategic location also served British interests by guaranteeing that the Río de la Plata would remain an international waterway. On July 18, 1830, when the constitution for the Oriental State of Uruguay was approved, the country had scarcely 74,000 inhabitants.
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- João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo
…four-star general and president of Brazil from 1979 to 1985.
Read More…four-star general and president of Brazil from 1979 to 1985.
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Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca15, 1889, which established Brazil as a republic. He served as provisional president until February 1891, when he was elected president by the constituent assembly, a body largely controlled by the generals. As president, Fonseca was both arbitrary and ineffective. When he attempted to rule by decree, he was…
Read More15, 1889, which established Brazil as a republic. He served as provisional president until February 1891, when he was elected president by the constituent assembly, a body largely controlled by the generals. As president, Fonseca was both arbitrary and ineffective. When he attempted to rule by decree, he was…
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Joaquim Aurelio Barreto Nabuco de Araújo…of the abolition movement in Brazil, and man of letters.
Read More…of the abolition movement in Brazil, and man of letters.
Read More- Queiroz Law
…(1850), measure enacted by the Brazilian parliament to make the slave trade illegal. In the mid-19th century the British government put pressure on Brazil to put an end to traffic in West African slaves, 150,000 of whom had arrived in Brazil in 1847–49. The government of the Brazilian emperor Pedro…
Read More…(1850), measure enacted by the Brazilian parliament to make the slave trade illegal. In the mid-19th century the British government put pressure on Brazil to put an end to traffic in West African slaves, 150,000 of whom had arrived in Brazil in 1847–49. The government of the Brazilian emperor Pedro…
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South AfricaGrowth of the colonial economy…the Indian Ocean and to Brazil to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations. By 1800 trade routes linked Delagoa Bay and coastal trade routes with the central interior.
Read More…the Indian Ocean and to Brazil to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations. By 1800 trade routes linked Delagoa Bay and coastal trade routes with the central interior.
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South AfricaThe Delagoa Bay slave trade…ineffective attempt to abolish the Brazilian trade in 1830. After a dip in the early 1830s, the Bay slave trade peaked in the late 1840s.
Read More…ineffective attempt to abolish the Brazilian trade in 1830. After a dip in the early 1830s, the Bay slave trade peaked in the late 1840s.
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western AfricaThe rise of the Atlantic slave trade…the Portuguese had established in Brazil. As a result, by the end of the 1630s the Dutch had established themselves as principal suppliers and customers of the Spanish plantations in the Caribbean, while in Brazil they were themselves in possession of a plantation colony.
Read More…the Portuguese had established in Brazil. As a result, by the end of the 1630s the Dutch had established themselves as principal suppliers and customers of the Spanish plantations in the Caribbean, while in Brazil they were themselves in possession of a plantation colony.
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slaverySlavery in the AmericasIn Brazil, where sugar had been tried even before its planting in the Caribbean, the coffee bush was imported from Arabia or Ethiopia via Indonesia, and it had an impact similar to that of sugar in the Caribbean. Around 1800 about half the population of Brazil…
Read MoreIn Brazil, where sugar had been tried even before its planting in the Caribbean, the coffee bush was imported from Arabia or Ethiopia via Indonesia, and it had an impact similar to that of sugar in the Caribbean. Around 1800 about half the population of Brazil…
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slaveryAgricultureThe great discovery in Brazil in the second half of the 16th century was the gang labor system, which was so cost-effective that it made Brazilian sugar cheaper in Europe than the sugar produced in the islands off Africa. A plantation using gang labor could produce, on average, 39…
Read MoreThe great discovery in Brazil in the second half of the 16th century was the gang labor system, which was so cost-effective that it made Brazilian sugar cheaper in Europe than the sugar produced in the islands off Africa. A plantation using gang labor could produce, on average, 39…
Read More- Strangford Treaty
…then in exile in its Brazilian colony, and Great Britain, represented by its ambassador, Lord Strangford. The treaty provided for the importation of British manufactures into Brazil and the exportation of Brazilian agricultural produce to Great Britain; also, British naval vessels were allowed to be resupplied in Brazilian ports, British…
Read More…then in exile in its Brazilian colony, and Great Britain, represented by its ambassador, Lord Strangford. The treaty provided for the importation of British manufactures into Brazil and the exportation of Brazilian agricultural produce to Great Britain; also, British naval vessels were allowed to be resupplied in Brazilian ports, British…
Read More - Tenentismo
…justice and national reforms in Brazil in the 1920s. On July 5, 1922, a number of the young officers raised the standard of revolt at the Igrejinha fortress in Copacabana. The uprising was quickly put down, and most of those who escaped the fortress (the Eighteen of Copacabana) were shot…
Read More…justice and national reforms in Brazil in the 1920s. On July 5, 1922, a number of the young officers raised the standard of revolt at the Igrejinha fortress in Copacabana. The uprising was quickly put down, and most of those who escaped the fortress (the Eighteen of Copacabana) were shot…
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John VI…he established his court in Brazil), and the implantation of representative government in both Portugal and Brazil.
Read More…he established his court in Brazil), and the implantation of representative government in both Portugal and Brazil.
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John Maurice Of Nassau…who consolidated Dutch rule in Brazil (1636–44), thereby bringing the Dutch empire in Latin America to the peak of its power.
Read More…who consolidated Dutch rule in Brazil (1636–44), thereby bringing the Dutch empire in Latin America to the peak of its power.
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emperor…of Bragança were emperors of Brazil from 1822 to 1889; Agustín de Iturbide and the Austrian archduke Maximilian were emperors of Mexico from 1822 to 1823 and from 1864 to 1867, respectively. The title emperor also is generally and loosely used as the English designation for the sovereigns of Ethiopia…
Read More…of Bragança were emperors of Brazil from 1822 to 1889; Agustín de Iturbide and the Austrian archduke Maximilian were emperors of Mexico from 1822 to 1823 and from 1864 to 1867, respectively. The title emperor also is generally and loosely used as the English designation for the sovereigns of Ethiopia…
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