Summary

In the photo it depicts the Imperial palace in Rio.You can also see a row of chained slaves, an oxen-drawn cart, a black women washing at a public tub, churches dwellings, governmental buildings. Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula, to avoid being deposed the royal family fled to Brazil. According to James Wood and Anna Rose Alexander,"By all accounts, the royal convoy's departure from Lisbon was chaotic. It was only three days before that the prince regent had announced his decision to go to Brazil, advising that all those disposed to "share his reverse of fortune" had his royal permission to follow… A caravan of over 700 coaches brought the royal family and their effects from their residence… While thousands headed to the beach with hope of joining them"(Problems 44). When they landed in Brazil they were beset by a "’painful saudade’ (nostalgic longing)” (Problems 44) . The people were not used to this heat as written in Problems in Modern Latin American History; "Indeed, the toll of heavy rains, heat, and pestilence appeared to make the exiles' presence untenable… They buried over 300 persons, natives of lisbon"(page 45). Since Lisbon was no longer a viable capital they went on to make Rio the Capital of the empire."The establishment of new and duplicated institutions in Rio de Janeiro, including the Desembargo do Paço (Tribunal of the High Court), the Casa de Suplicação do Brasil(Court of Appeals), the Junta de Comercio(Commercial Board), the Erário Real(Royal Treasury) and a Bank of Brazil facilitated the exercise of justice and commerce, brought the city prestige, and provided unprecedented opportunities for royal service."(Problems 46). And while all that came over from Portugal got all the same benefits they did while in Brazil, those from Brazil gained new power economically and politically. "Although many exiles were given posts in recognition of the hardship of joining the prince regent in Brazil, the city's residents too enjoyed the dividends of a growing royal bureaucracy as well as royal grants of land"(Problems 47). By making Rio the capital of the empire all trade flowed through the city instead of out of it. "The 'royal hand' 'regenerated' America by opening Brazilian ports and, according to Gonçalves dos Santos, so ushered in a period of increased trade and prosperity"(Problems 47). With the growth within the city all the locals were happy with the system, the new sense of economical power they lived in a symbiotic relationship until 1820 when in Portugal a Cortes formed to create their own constitution and no longer make Brazil and Portugal equal. fcea. While the Cortes wanted to abolish slavery something the Brazilian economy was built upon. Stated In Latin America Since Independence written by Alexander Dawson,“when liberal army officers in Portugal rebelled, formed a cortes (a legislature), and called the king home. The liberals in Lisbon then demanded that João bow down before their new constitution and that Brazil bow down before Portugal. They were poised to abolish slavery. When the Cortes demanded that Pedro, the king’s son and interim ruler in Brazil return home, Pedro refused. He instead declared Brazil independent on 7 September 1822. A series of military skirmishes followed, but Pedro rapidly established a constitutional monarchy under the banner of the Brazilian Empire. Slavery was saved.”(Page 14). While this isn't the place King Pedro was born this is his home and the place he grew up in, the place his family lived and the place where he ruled from.

Works Cited:

Dawson, Alexander. Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2022.
Wood, James A. and Anna Rose Alexander, editors. Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. 5th ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019