Regency of Brazil

Regency of Brazil
Name	Regency of Brazil
Native name	Regência do Brasil
Start	7 April 1831
End	23 July 1840
Preceding	Empire of Brazil
Succeeding	Empire of Brazil
Capital	Rio de Janeiro
Common languages	Portuguese language
Religion	Roman Catholicism in Brazil
Government	Regency
Leaders	Pedro I of Brazil; Diogo Feijó; Pedro de Araújo Lima, Marquis of Olinda

Regency of Brazil The Regency of Brazil was the period (1831–1840) during which regents exercised executive authority after the abdication of Pedro I of Brazil and before the early majority of Pedro II of Brazil. It featured competing personalities such as Diogo Antônio Feijó, Pedro de Araújo Lima, Marquis of Olinda, and a rotating Permanent Triune Regency alongside intense debates between factions including Moderate Party (Brazil), Liberal Party, and Restorationist sympathizers. The era was marked by provincial revolts like the Cabanagem, Ragamuffin War, and Balaiada, alongside institutional reforms, military reorganizations, and negotiations with foreign powers such as United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and United States representatives.

Background and Causes

The crisis began with the July 1826 death of King John VI of Portugal and the contested succession involving Pedro IV of Portugal and the return of imperial politics shaped by the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and the Constitution of 1824 (Brazil). Tensions between supporters of Pedro I of Brazil—linked to dynastic ties with Maria II of Portugal—and opponents including members of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) and the Senate of the Empire of Brazil intensified after the Confederação do Equador and the emperor's authoritarian measures such as dissolving the General Assembly (Brazil). Military figures like Manuel da Fonseca and provincial elites in Province of Pernambuco and Province of Rio Grande do Sul pressured for change, culminating in the emperor’s abdication in favor of his minor son, triggering regency arrangements involving the Council of State (Brazil) and local juntas.

Provisional Regency (1831–1835)

Following Pedro I of Brazil's abdication on 7 April 1831, a provisional government composed of three members—the Provisional Triumviral Regency—assumed power, drawing personnel from the Ministry of Justice (Brazil), the Ministry of Empire and Foreign Affairs (Brazil), and the Ministry of War (Brazil). Figures like José da Costa Carvalho and Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada interacted with provincial governments in Bahia and Pernambuco while negotiating with foreign envoys from the United Kingdom and merchants based in Port of Rio de Janeiro. The provisional regents faced immediate crises including conspiracies by Saquarema conservatives and Carbonária-influenced liberals, and they issued decrees to reform municipal institutions and reorganize the Imperial Guard to contend with uprisings in Grão-Pará and Ceará.

Permanent and Multiple Regent Periods (1835–1840)

In 1834 the Additional Act of 1834—an amendment to the Constitution of 1824 (Brazil)—created the office of a Permanent Regent elected by the General Assembly (Brazil)], provincial legislatures, and electoral colleges, producing figures such as Diogo Antônio Feijó, elected in 1835, and the later ascension of the Permanent Triune Regency including Pedro de Araújo Lima, Marquis of Olinda. The period saw alternating single regents and collective regencies, marked by debates in the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) over centralization and provincial autonomy, reforms to the Judiciary of Brazil, and attempts to regularize the National Guard (Brazil). Feijó contended with conservative deputies tied to the Saquarema group and liberal leaders like Evaristo da Veiga; his resignation reflected pressures from military commanders such as Brigadier Francisco de Paula Souza.

Political Factions and Ideologies

Major factions included the Liberal Party (Brazil), advocating provincial decentralization and reforms promoted by deputies from Minas Gerais and São Paulo; the Moderate Party (Brazil) or Saquarema, favoring central authority and ties to monarchist institutions; and the Restorationist circles that sought dynastic solutions with links to Portugal. Intellectual currents drew on texts by José Bonifácio de Andrada and debates influenced by the French July Revolution and the Spanish Trienio Liberal. Key powerbrokers included provincial caudillos from Goiás, merchants in Recife, and clergy associated with the Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia, while newspapers such as Jornal do Commercio and Diário do Rio de Janeiro shaped public opinion alongside secret societies like the Carbonari.

Social and Economic Conditions

The regency era occurred amid transitions from sugarcane plantations in Pernambuco and coffee expansion in Vale do Paraíba to emergent industries in Pernambuco and artisanal centers in São Paulo. Slavery remained central, with uprisings involving enslaved people in provinces like Bahia and legal disputes in the Supreme Court of Justice (Brazil). Demographic pressures in Pará and migration into Amazonas tied to extractive economies influenced provincial revenues collected by the Treasury of the Empire. Urban labor in Rio de Janeiro and port commerce at Port of Santos interacted with foreign capital from British merchants and banking interests linked to houses in London and Lisbon, while famines and epidemics such as yellow fever strained municipal charities and ecclesiastical relief organized by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.

Revolts and Regional Conflicts

The Regency witnessed major revolts: the Cabanagem (Grão-Pará), with leaders like Ramon Batista and Felipe Camarão challenging provincial oligarchies; the Ragamuffin War (Rio Grande do Sul) involving Bento Gonçalves da Silva and battles such as Battle of Seival; the Balaiada (Maranhão) led by figures including Cosme Bento and Manuel dos Anjos Ferreira; the Sabinada (Bahia) under Francisco Sabino; and the Praieira Revolt (Pernambuco) associated with radical liberals from the Praia do Recife movement. Responses combined military campaigns by generals like Gonçalo Xavier de Novais and negotiated pacifications mediated by provincial deputies and the Council of State (Brazil), with skirmishes, sieges, and localized treaties reshaping provincial politics.

End of the Regency and Accession of Pedro II

Political maneuvers by the Moderate Party (Brazil), the election of a conciliatory regency, and the so-called ""Majority Coup"" culminated in the declaration of Pedro II of Brazil's majority on 23 July 1840, supported by deputies such as Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná and military leaders from Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. The premature declaration aimed to stabilize the empire, consolidate authority against revolts like the Ragamuffin War, and reestablish relations with foreign capitals including London and Paris. The accession initiated policies steered by ministers like Marquis of Paraná and institutional continuity within the Council of State (Brazil) and the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), setting the stage for the long reign of Pedro II of Brazil.

Category:19th century in Brazil Category:Political history of Brazil