Brazil: History

• Chapter 8 Section 2

How did Brazil’s early peoples live?How did the Portuguese colony in

Brazil develop?How did Brazil gain independence and

become a democracy?

Vocab…

IndigenousSlash-and-burn agricultureEmancipateCompulsory

History

• Indigenous people there for 10,000 + years before Europeans• 4 main language groups: Tupi,

Arawak, Carib & Nambicuara

• Some practiced slash-and-burn agriculture• Some were nomads.

Columbus returns to Spain….

The treaty of Tordesillas…….1494

Portuguese Claim

• Pedro Cabral (headed to India)

• Stayed 10 days - peaceful• Portugal didn’t pay much

attention for 30 years.

Brazilwood…Sailors established a few trading posts along

Brazil’s coast to collect brazilwood – the red dye extracted from the wood was valued.

Brazilwood…….Brazil(Now we’ve got more Europeans interested….)

King John III

Wary of losing control, he establishes a colony in 1533.

Portuguese rule would last for more than 300 years.

Land Grants

• King gave wealthy supporters land grants• They were responsible for

developing it• Established cities and gave land to

colonists to farm

But there was too much work….

• Began enslaving native people• Many resisted and were killed• Thousands more died from diseases• Others fled into the interior.

End of the land-grant system

King John put Brazil under royal control and sent a governor from Portugal* More colonists* Jesuit Catholic Priests

Jesuits

• Were asked by King to convert the native people.

• Those who converted were settled in special villages and protected from slavery

As sugar expanded, ranching pushed westward….

• Also had Jesuits going into the interior to protect and convert people

• Slave hunters too moved into the interior

Wealth

• In the 1600’s Brazil’s sugar was Portugal's greatest source of wealth

• Coffee & Cotton developed• Gold discovered in the 1690’s• Diamonds discovered in the 1720’s

(Enslaved Africans worked on plantations and in mines)

Independence… (Thanks Napoleon!)

• Napoleon defeated Britain, Russia, Austria and Sweden, and then invaded Portugal in 1807.

• As The French got to Lisbon, the royal family and government leaders fled to Brazil

• Brazil’s status changed from colony of Portugal to part of a kingdom (equal status with Portugal)

Napoleon Loses

• Portuguese people wanted their king back, so in 1821 he went home and left his son behind to rule.

• 1822 Portugal turns Brazil back into a colony and orders the son home – he refuses and declares independence

King Pedro

• Most Brazilians supported independence –but they didn’t like Pedro’s harsh rule.

• 1831 – forced to turn over throne to 5 year old son.

Pedro II

• Ruled for 50 years• Well Liked• Great Progress• Population 4 million to 14 million.• Many European immigrants • Railroads Built• Stopped importing slaves from Africa…

Emancipate• 1860’s a movement began to free the

enslaved people.• Pedro thought is should happen

gradually.• 1871 – freedom to all children born to

people I slavery• 1885 law freed enslaved people over 60• 1888 all remaining enslaved people

freed.

Angry Plantation owners….• Supported Brazil’s army in overthrowing Pedro

II• New constitution based on the Constitution of

the US• But only wealthy property owners could vote• In 1910 the population was 22 millions – only

627,000 could vote

Most of the wealthy were in the southeast…

• The Brazilian presidents followed economic policies that benefited the southeast.

• Coffee (More rich landowners)

1930

• Getulio Vargas overthrew the newly elected president and seized power.

• Ruled for 15 years.

Reforms

• Vargas’s reforms made him a hero to most Brazilians– Raised wages– Shortened work hours– Allowed unions

However……..

He still ruled like a dictator….

• Dissolved legislature• Banned political parties• Forced to resign by

military in 1945• Elected again in 1950• Forced form office in 1954

The next 30 years….

• Alternated between dictators and elected leaders

• Manufacturing grew and thrived (steel, auto, chemical industries)

• Foreign investment

• However…..

Civil Unrest

• Military took control in 1965• Series of generals became head of the

government• “elected” legislature – but the army

controlled the elections• If you opposed you were arrested• Military gave up power in 1985

Today

• Democratic Republic with elected leaders

• Voting is COMPULSORY – required by law to vote!

The End