The Regency Period it began after D. Pedro I abdicated the Brazilian throne in 1831. As his son could not assume the throne because he was only five years old, a transition was made in which the country was ruled by regents. During this period, Brazil had a brief experience of decentralization that resulted in a series of rebellions in different provinces.
Abdication of D. Pedro I
D. Pedro I abdicated the Brazilian throne in favor of his son, Pedro de Alcântara, on April 7, 1831 . This fact resulted from the erosion in the emperor's relationship with the Brazilian elite, representative and heir of the “Brazilian Party”, caused by its centralizing and authoritarian measures.
During his reign, D. Pedro I imposed the Constitution of 1824 , in which he centralized political power in his figure, harming the interests of Brazilian constituents who defended the restriction of imperial powers. Furthermore, the defeat in the Cisplatin War and its impacts on the Brazilian economy were crucial to the emperor's loss of popularity.
Because of this, D. Pedro I had a cold reception in Minas Gerais, which, together with the fights that took place in the city of Rio de Janeiro between the “Brazilian Party” (opponents of D. Pedro in this context) and the “Portuguese Party” (defenders of D. Pedro) during the Night of Bottles , eventually resulted in his abdication.
At that time, Pedro I's heir, Pedro de Alcântara, was only five years old and, according to the 1824 Constitution, was prohibited from assuming the throne until he turned 18. years old. Thus, the Regency Period began, in which the government of the country was in the hands of regents. Meanwhile, Pedro de Alcântara was tutored by José Bonifácio , which the prepared to ascend the throne.
Regency Period
The Brazilian Regency Period, as we have seen, began in 1831 and lasted until 1840, when the majority of D. Pedro II was brought forward so that he would assume the throne of Brazil. This nine-year period can basically be divided into:
- Provisional Triune Regency (1831);
- Regency Trine Permanent (1831-1835);
- Regency One from Beans (1835-1837);
- Regency One from Araujo Lime (1837-1840).
At this moment, the performance of three political groups stood out, which, throughout the regency, were transformed into the two groups that divided Brazilian politics in the Second Reign. The political groups of the Regency Period were:
- Exalted Liberals :the exalted liberals were defenders of federalism , that is, to grant more autonomy to Brazilian provinces. The members of this group were divided between monarchists and republicans. An influential representative of the Exalted was Cyprian Cheap .
- Moderate Liberals :the moderate liberals were monarchists who supported the coronation of D. Pedro II, however, they defended the restriction of imperial powers . An influential representative of the moderates was Father Diogo Antonio Beans .
- Restores :the restorers were monarchists who defended the return of D. Pedro I for the Brazilian throne. This group weakened after the death of D. Pedro I in 1834. An influential representative of this group was José Bonifacio .
During the Triune regency, some important actions were taken, such as the creation of the Criminal Procedure Code in 1832 which, among many determinations, expanded the powers of the justices of the peace and, in addition, determined the use of a jury in the judgment of more serious crimes and created the habeas corpus – a legal mechanism that allows the defendant to answer for his crime in freedom.
Another important action was the creation of the National Guard in 1831, which made it possible for citizens to form an armed corps to contain government excesses and rebellions that might ensue. The National Guard's jurisdiction was municipal, and it was made up of all citizens who had the right to vote between the ages of 21 and 60.
The most important decision taken during this period was the approval of the Additional Act in 1834. This act was considered a victory for the exalted liberals, as it promoted a series of amendments to the 1824 Constitution and granted greater autonomy to the Brazilian provinces . Some historians claim that the Additional Act of 1834 initiated a brief republican experience in monarchical Brazil.
With this measure, it was determined that the Moderating Power would not be valid during the period of regencies and that the Emperor's Council of State would be abolished. The most important change allowed the emergence of Provincial Assemblies , which would have attributions that until then did not exist. Thus, for example, provinces were allowed to create local taxes and to appoint and dismiss civil servants.
The delegation of greater powers to Brazilian provinces strengthened local political disputes, and this contributed considerably to a series of provincial rebellions. These rebellions had specific motivations related to the political-social context of the province itself.
The main provincial rebellions that took place during the Regency Period were:Cabanagem , Balayada , Revolt dos Male , Sabinada and Revolt dos Rags . However, other movements of the type were triggered in different parts of Brazil, such as the Cabanada , the Sweeps Cuiabanas , Revolt das Brooms etc.
Unas Rules
With the passing of the Additional Act in 1834, it was also determined to replace the triune regency with a one regency . The choice of the representative of the Brazilian regency was made in elections that defined the Padre Feijó as the first regent of Brazil. Padre Feijó remained in office until 1837, when he resigned, forcing new elections. Among the possible causes of his resignation were political pressures and health problems.
The new elections determined the victory of Pedro de Araújo Lima as second – and last – regent. During the period of Araújo Lima’s regency, the well-known “regresso ”, which characterized the growth of the conservative wing in Brazilian politics. As a result, some measures in force, such as the decentralization of power, were reversed.
During this period of the single regencies, an important change took place in the Brazilian political framework. Political groups underwent changes and were redefined as liberal and conservatives . The first was formed by the mixture of moderates and exalted, and the second was formed by moderates and restorers.
During Araújo Lima's regency, provincial revolts were repressed with extreme brutality. Highlights of these revolts can be made for Cabanagem , which resulted in the death of 30 thousand people, and for the Balaiada , in which 12,000 people died. The aforementioned return of political centralization occurred in this period from the Interpretative Law of the Additional Act , decreed in 1840.
The political rise of conservatives made liberals create a political discourse that defended the anticipation of the majority of D. Pedro II, so that he could assume even with less than 18 years of age. This speech was accepted by the economic and political elite of the country that promoted the well-known Majority Coup . Thus, in 1840, D. Pedro's majority was brought forward and he was crowned at just 14 years old. This fact marked the beginning of the Second Reign.
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