Figure 1.-- Dutch investors commited considerable funds. A succession crisis in Portugal led to a personal union under the Habsburg King Philip II of Spain--the Iberian Union (1580). This meant that Portugal and Brazil became involved in the Dutch War of Independence. Philip II prohibited trade with the Dutch (1581). The Dutch with investments in Brazil struck back by seizing coastal cities in the northeast. Here is a detail from a painting about the Spanish retakeing Bahia (1625). The Dutch continued the fight to retain a hold on Brazil for several decades. The Dutch finally departed after the Spain made peace (1648) and the Portuguese paid a war debt (1661).

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, comprising half the area of South Aamerica. It is also has the largest population in Latin America and one of the largest in the world--about 150 million people. The population is still largely found along the coast where cities like Sao Paulo and Rio dominate the country. Brazilan history is less known than that of the more dramatic history of the former Spanish colonies. It was in Brazil that the Atlabtic slave trade began and Brzail was the final country in the mesisphere to abolish slavery. While the slave system was extrodinarily brutal, the racism underlying slavery was less pronounced in Brazil. As a result Brazil has the most racially mixed population in the hemisphere. The country does not have a long democratic tradition. There was a long period of military rule or rule by military-controlled civilian governments. There was also a bloody Communist insurection which was brutally supressed by the military. Brazil appears to be bebefitting from a combination of free-market reforms and democratic rule. The economy is now one of the fastest growing in the world. Given the country's size, its future will largely determine that of South America.

Native Americans

There is some difference of opinion among historians as to the size of the Native American population in the Amazonian basin. One estimate suggests a Native American population of about 7 million people. The tribes have been described as peripatetic. We have noted varying assessments of the level of development of the tribes. They have been described a having only basic agricuktural trchnology. Other reports suggest a much more developed agricultural society. There are reports of high levels of intra-tribal warfare and canibalism. There was no monumental archiecture as was the case of the Andean peoples. Thus there is little physical evidence to assess these cultures. There are today in the jungle areas of the deep Amazon a number of surviving tribes with a population of about 0.2 million. Their culture is very primitive. There is evidence that the Native American tribes in the Amazon Basin at the time of the Conquest were more advanced.

The Conquest

The Portuguese who for a century were moving south alonh the coast of Africa discovered Brazil after Columbus had shown that there was land to the west. The leading Portuguesr conquistadoer was Pedro Cabral (1500). Other Portuguese explorers followed in Cabral's wake. The nature of the Portuguese Conquest in Brazil was different from that of the Spanish in the rest of South American and Mexico. The Portuguese with considerable experience along the coast of Africa was primarily interested in trade. There was less concern with actual conquest. The Portuguese made little attemp to move inland and the interior was largely unexplored. Many early settklers were common sailors who lived on subsistence agriculture. The early Portuguese found little of value among the Native Americans. One item of value they found was the pau do brasil (brazil wood tree) which could be used to produce a valuable red die. from which they created red dye.

Colonial Development

Portugal at the time of the conquest was a country just emerging from feudalism with an impoverished peasantry. Brazil offered land. The Dutch, an important 17th century naval power, seized Bahia for a brief period. One impact of their presence was a boost to the sugar industry, a hugely valuable commodity at the time. The economics of sugar meant that it became the leading crop in Brazil. Dutch investors commited considerable funds. A succession crisis in Portugal led to a personal union under the Habsburg King Philip II of Spain--the Iberian Union (1580). This meant that Portugal and Brazil became involved in the Dutch War of Independence (1581-1648). Philip II prohibited trade with the Dutch (1581). The Dutch with investments in Brazil struck back by seizing coastal cities in the northeast. The principal result was that when the Dutch were finally expelled, they brought sugar industry technology to the Caribbean. The Native American population was desimated by European diseases. Portugal with trading posts all along the African coasts had access to a ready supply of labor which laubched the Atlantic slave trade. While slavery in Portuguese Brazil was an extrodinarily brutal system, there were cultural differences with slavery in Hispanic America and subsequently the French and British colonies. There was a degree of intermarriage unprecedented in the other colonial empires. A range of factors seem to have been at play here. The Portuguese were more familiar with Africa, The Portugese settlers were mostly men with relatively few women. In addition, the Portuguese had a long historical expeience with Moors from North Africa. The Portugesre not only intermarried with the African slaves, but also Native Americams. There was also intermarriage between Africans and Native Americans. This has resulted to a much more racially mixed population than elsewhere in the America. This is not to say there was not racist ordering of society. It is to say that there was aoderation of racist thought in Brazil as aesult of a degree of mixing and the historical experience. The discovery of gold in south-central Brazil brough a movement into the interior for the first ime (1690s). The gold proved to be much more limited than at forst thought and the settlment of Brazil continued to be mostly coastal (18th century).

Napoleonic Wars

Portugal for a time was Britain's only ally on the continent. This made the country a target for the French. The British landed a small army comanded by Wellington, but it was not large enough to resist a French inbvasion forcehand had to be withdrawn. The French moved on Lisbon. The Prince Regent departed seeking refuge in VBrazil (1807). Dom Joao established Rio de Jneinro as the temporary capital of the Portuguese Empire. Napoleon's defeat in Russia (1812) fatally weakeb=ned France and the French had to withdraw from Iberia (1814). Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo (1815). Dom Joao did not return to POrtugal, however, until several years later (1821).

Brazilian Empire (1822)

Dom Joao left his son Dom Pedro in charge of Brazil when he returned to Portugal (1821). Dom Joao attempted to resume the traditional system of colonial rule. Dom Pedro decided to declare Brazuil's independence from Portugal and his independence from his father (1822). Brazil's economy changed significantly in the 19th century as coffee became an ibcreasingly important crop. There was considerable Europeam immigratiin in the 19th century, especially from Italy.

Coffee

Brazil's economy changed significantly in the 19th century as coffee became an increasingly important crop.

War of the Tripple Alliance (1864-70)

The War of the Triple Alliance, also called the Paraguyan War, was the bloodiest conflict in Latin-American history. It was a war fought by Paraguay against aan alliance of neighboring states (Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay). Only Bolivia among the countries bordering Paraguay did not enter the War. The countries between Argentina and Brazil (Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay) struggled in the 19th century to retain their independence and territory against their more powerful neigbors. Arggentiba during the War for Independence attempted unsuccessfully to include what becamme Paraguay and Uruguay in their new nation. Even after independence, a range of issues, especially boundaries were left unresolved. Argentina and Brazil claimed territory that Paraguay also claimed. Uruguay was also a bone of contention. Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II intervened in Uruguayan politics and assisted the leader of Uruguay's Colorado Party to overthrow the Blanco Party (1864). Paraguayan Dictator , Francisco Solano López, saw this as a prelude toward Brazilian interference in his country. He declared war on Brazil (1864). López had conducted a massive buildup of a 50,000-man army. It was the largest army in South America. Bartolomé Mitre, president of Argentina, concerned about Paraguay's military buildup, saw this as an opportunity to obtain long-saught territoiry, organized an alliance with Brazil and Colorado-controlled Uruguay (the Triple Alliance). They declared war on Paraguay (May 1, 1865). Many Latin Americans when the War began saw Paraguay as the agressor and a threatening nation. As the War went on and went against Paraguay, sentiment shofted and began to be seen as Mitre's war of conquest, even in Argentina. The Emperor gsve command of the Brazilian forces at the end of the War to his French son-in-law, the Count d'Eu.

Immigration

There was considerable Europeam immigration in the 19th century, especially from Italy.

Abolishing Slavery (1888)

Brazil was a major desination of the Atlantic slave trade. Brazil justsout into the Atlantic and was thus a much shorter run for the slavers. Brazil had the largest slave population in the world, substantially larger than the United States. Pedro II was a ruler of conservative mindset. He came to see slavery, despite its economic importance to Brazil as inherently evil. Pedro began a series of measures liberating Brazilian slaves. He was posed to entirely abolish slavery. His measures against slavery met oposition from major landowners and the military, the leadership of which was drawn from the landed elite. The Emperor was on a trip to Europe when his daughter, Princess Isabel serving as regent, issued a decree abolishing slavery (May 13, 1888). This essentially did away for the last bastion of slavery, although forced labor cotinued for some time, in the Western Hemishere and ended what remained of the the African slave trade. Princess Isabella's decree is known as the Golden Law. It was widely praised in Europe. Abolishing slavery was the last major action taken by the Brazilian royal family. Brazil proved to be the last Western Hemisphere country to abolish slavery.

Republic (1889)

The Brazil monarchy was praised in Europe for the Golden Law. It was seen in a far different light by the Brazilian political elite. Conservative forces in Brazil were horrified with the abolition of slavery. As this was the the monarchy's primary source of support, it mortally wounded the monarchy. The coffee planters organized to oppose the monarchy. Revolts broke out in the important cities. There was some support for the opposition by republican regimes in Uruguay and Argentina. Insurgents proclaimed a republic (November 16, 1889). Coffee planters became the dominant force in Brazil. They backed a military coup (1889). The Emperor fleed the country. A Republic was proclaimed.

Rubber Boom

A rubber boom brought peopkle into the Amazonian basin. Manaus became emensly rich. The country's population, however, continued to be concentrated along the coast.

Depression (1930s)

The Worldwide Depression of the 1930s adversely affected Brazil as its economy was based on exporting coffee. Demand for coffee plumeted.

World War II (1939-45)

Latin American countries were not involved in World War II until the Japanese attack on Peal Harbor (December 7, 1941). Within weeks of Pearl Harbor, each of the Latin American countries, except the southern cone countries (Argentina and Chile), either broke relations with the Axis countries ir declared war. Of these by far the most important was Brazil. This country is half of South America. It also has an emense Atlantic coast. Brazil allowed the United States to set up air bases along the northeastern coast. Recife was especially important. These basees and instalations played an important role in the campaign against the U-boats in the South Atlantic. They also helped set up air connections with Allied forces in Africa. The loss of Malay and the Dutch West Indies to the Japanese (1942) created shortages of rubber, a critical war material. Brazil became a key source of rubber for the Allies.

Post-War Era

The Depression of the 1930s had destabilized the Brazilian economy. World war II brought a degree of economic recovery. The Depression began, however, an era of political instability. Brazil was plagued with a weak economy, social unrest, a Communist insurgency, and military coups. The Government attempted to develop the interior of the country. The capital was moved from Rio tp a new capital built from scratch in the interior--Brazilia. The generals finally oversaw a return to democracy.

Democracy (1989)

Brazil held its first democratic election in decaded (1889). The first choice of president, Fernando Collor de Mello, proved to be a poor one. Mello's dministration was plagued with corruption. And little progress was made in addressing the country's social problems are improving the economy. The peaceful transition exhibited a new stability in Brazilian political life and the country has made impressive economic progress in recent years.

Portuguese Language

Brazil has acquired the Portugese language from its former colonial mother country. The language has been infuenced by the various people with their languages that make up the Brazilian ethnic mix--Native Americans, Africans, and other Europeans (primstily Italian). And Brazil is now the dominant force in the Portuguese language, largely because the Brazilian population is so much larger than that of Portugal.

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Created: 2:04 AM 12/22/2007
Last updated: 7:09 PM 10/27/2008