Since the beginning of the Empire, every year Brazilians celebrate on the day September 7 is the Independence Day of Brazil.
however, that d. Pedro I made the proclamation on the banks of a river in the state of São Paulo, our National Anthem counts, but have you ever stopped to think about what happened that day?
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If the subject arouses your curiosity, see everything that happened on that historic date, as well as the actions that culminated in the Grito do Ipiranga.
To understand the historical scenario in Brazil at the time of Independence, formalized in 1822, it is necessary to go back approximately 14 years. Returning, then, to the beginning of 1808, which marks the arrival of the Portuguese royal family in Brazilian territory.
Due to having several commercial agreements with the United Kingdom, Portugal refused to join the Continental Blockade decreed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Fearing the reaction of the French emperor and a possible takeover of the country, D. João VI and all the members of the Court left Europe for the Brazilian colony, under the escort of English ships.
This fact determined the beginning of the period that became known in history as the Johannine Period. As expected, Brazil has undergone profound transformations, both in terms of infrastructure, economy and culture, as well as in terms of the organization of society.
In 1815, along with Portugal and the Algarves, the country was elevated to the status of the United Kingdom. Therefore, in theory, it ceased to be a colony. However, this did not mean the end of Portuguese rule in the territory.
Precisely during this period, but in Europe, the Napoleonic era came to an end. Despite this, Portugal was not exempt from crises. There were several political divergences, but there was a consensus, D. João VI should return to Lusitanian lands and regain control of the country.
Thus, in 1821 the Portuguese King and the entire Court returned to their native country. His son, D. Pedro, stayed in Brazil as the representative of Portugal, receiving the title of Prince Regent.
The moment was one of political turbulence, both in our country and in Portuguese lands. There, in the city of Lisbon, several assemblies were held that asked for the return of Portugal to the political center of the aforementioned United Kingdom and the consequent submission of Brazil as a mere colony.
On this side, the agrarian elites and other representatives of the wealthier classes moved alongside D. Pedro for the implementation of reforms in the Brazilian structure, which greatly displeased members of the Portuguese royalty.
This is how the Portuguese began to demand the return of the monarch to their country. Disregarding the request, on January 9, 1822 he announced his stay in Brazil, through the episode that became known as stay day.
Throughout the first half of that year, disagreements between the representatives of the two countries continued to be fierce.
On the afternoon of September 7, 1822, already in São Paulo, D. Pedro was returning from a trip to Santos, whose objective was to solve political problems in the province. When he arrived in the vicinity of the Ipiranga creek, he received a letter with an ultimatum.
The letter delivered by a messenger from the Court announced that he should, in obedience to the decisions of the metropolis, immediately return to Portugal. Contradicting real expectations, he proclaimed the Independence of Brazil, in the famous episode historically known as Grito do Ipiranga.
The event was marked by the words “Independence or death!”. That is, from that moment on, all colonial ties with Portugal were closed and, in metaphor, Brazilians preferred to die rather than become a colony again.
On October 12, 1822, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the monarch was acclaimed Emperor of Brazil, under the nickname of D. Pedro I. On December 1, at the age of 24, he was crowned Emperor.
A curious fact is that Independence was not immediately accepted by the Crown. Recognition came only after three years, including the mediation of Great Britain.
In addition, even with the end of colonial relations with Portugal, a Portuguese monarch took the throne. The fact caused great discomfort and motivated many disputes throughout his reign.
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