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Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier
Influenced by the American Revolution and the French Philosophers of the time (John Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire) he was the leader of the first organized movement against the Portuguese in 1789. He was born in Minas Gerais, and organized the Inconfidencia Mineira in response to the Portuguese attempts at collecting back taxes from the Brazilians. The rebellion was quickly crushed, and Tiradentes (as he was commonly referred to, which meant Tooth Puller) was brutally executed two years later, April -
Key Event 2
Son of Portuguese king declares independence from Portugal and crowns himself Peter I, Emperor of Brazil. -
Key Event 1
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Italian, German, Spanish, Arab and Japanese immigrants settled in Brazil and played an important role in its culture, creating a multicultural and multiethnic society. -
Key Event 3
Vargas ousted in military coup. Elections held under caretaker government. New constitution returns power to states. -
Don Pedro II
While Brazil was still under Portuguese rule, this monarch ruled for nearly 50 years, and under him the economy expanded greatly, with national production increasing 900%. A system of railroads was built which greatly helped Brazil's trading, communication and unification. In terms of foreign affairs Don Pedro was very hostile to neighboring Dictatorships, allying with Argentina and Uruguay against Paraguay in 1865, and supporting the revolutionary war that was taking place in Argentina against
