The First Reign corresponds to the period from September 7, 1822 to April 7, 1831, in which Brazil was ruled by D. Pedro I, the first emperor of Brazil.
In other words, this period begins with the Independence of Brazil and ends with the abdication of Dom Pedro I.
The First Reign was marked by disputes between the agrarian elite and the Emperor, as well as regional conflicts in the Northeast and Cisplatina. However, it was the moment that Brazil built its base as a State and a nation.
Characteristics of the First Reign
The First Reign is characterized by the period of formation of the Brazilian State. The government regime was a constitutional monarchy whose head of state was Dom Pedro I.
In the economy, the main exported products are sugar, tobacco and cotton, in addition to the intense trade of enslaved people.
In cultural terms, this was the beginning of the search for an identity of its own, as Brazil ceased to be part of the Portuguese Kingdom and began to see itself as an independent nation.
First Reign Policy
Once the battles for independence in Bahia were over, an assembly of deputies was gathered to draft the new country's Constitution.
After many discussions, a project was presented to the Emperor in 1823, but as it limited the powers of D. Pedro I, he closed the Assembly and ordered a new Constitution, which was granted in 1824. Moderator, who would be exercised by the Emperor, in case of conflict between the legislative, executive and judiciary powers.
The Moderating Power was seen by many Brazilians as a way for the Emperor to centralize the other powers of the government within himself.
Confederation of Ecuador
For this reason, some provinces in the Northeast such as Pernambuco, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Sergipe and Alagoas come together and found the Confederation of Ecuador.
In 1824, the Confederation of Ecuador declares war on the Empire. The objective was to achieve autonomy, separating from Brazil, but the provinces are unable to do so due to military defeat.
Cisplatin War
The Cisplatine War, in 1825, was a dispute over the Cisplatine Province between the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata. Defeated militarily, Brazil, however, did not recognize that this territory could be part of what is now Argentina. The solution was to create an independent state, Uruguay.
These conflicts increased financial expenses, left people dead, plus the loss of territory, cooperated to damage the image of D. Pedro I.
Economy of the First Reign
Brazil traded products whose export prices were falling, such as cotton, sugar and tobacco.
The commercialization of coffee, in turn, began to expand. However, the development of “green gold”, as it was called, was still not enough to avoid the economic crisis.
Conflict spending, especially the Cisplatine War, is high, which forces the government to borrow from England.
Crisis and end of the First Reign
The wars and the economic crisis increased the discontent of the population and the elites with the government.
Furthermore, in 1826, D. João VI died in Portugal. As D.Pedro I had never renounced his rights as heir to the Portuguese throne, even in Brazil he assumed the throne as King of Portugal, with the name of D.Pedro IV. As D. Miguel, his brother, does not accept this attitude, a long dispute between the brothers began.
D.Pedro I, tries to negotiate with his brother, abdicates the Portuguese throne in his daughter, Maria da Glória, and proposes marriage to both. For his part, D. Miguel would have to respect the Constitution that was already in force in Portugal.
Dona Maria da Glória was sent to Portugal, but D. Miguel refuses the offer of marriage. Therefore, he ascends to the Portuguese throne as king and disrespects the Magna Carta.
Night of Bottles
In addition to the facts mentioned above, in Brazil, discontent with the Emperor reached the streets in the form of protests.
One of them was the Noite das Garrafadas, which took place from March 13 to 15, 1831, where the Portuguese who did not support the separation of Brazil and Portugal and the Brazilians clashed in the streets of Rio de Janeiro.
Dom Pedro I had gone to the province of Minas Gerais to gather support for his cause. On his way back, several Portuguese organized a big party to welcome him, but it ended up in confusion among the Brazilians who complained against the government of D. Pedro I.
Frightened by the violence in the streets, D. Pedro I decides to form a ministry made up only of Brazilians, the "Ministério dos Marqueses". However, this was not enough to calm the mood.
There was also a suspicion that the assassination of journalist Líbero Badaró, which took place in 1830, a critic of the government, was ordered by the Emperor, bringing more revolt to the people.
Abdication of D. Pedro I
Divided between the Portuguese and Brazilian thrones, facing street protests and with part of the Army against him, D. Pedro I abdicates the throne in favor of his son and heir, D. Pedro II.
He then leaves for Europe to gather resources and armies to fight his brother Miguel and restore the throne to his daughter, Maria da Glória. Once the war is won, she will ascend to the Portuguese throne as Maria II.
In Brazil, however, D. Pedro II is only five years old and cannot govern. The solution, provided for in the Constitution, was to form a Regency until the age of majority.
This time will be known as the Regency Period.
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