Brazil and the Americas.

Brazil - The original leader of the Americas.

Location: New Jersey, United States

Ricardo C. Amaral was born in Brazil. He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he received a B.A. degree in Economics and later an MBA degree in Finance. He continued his Academic studies towards a PhD. degree in Economics at Fordham University. Mr. Amaral has an extensive investment and international business background. He is the author of a biography of “Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva - The Greatest Man in Brazilian History" - published in May 2000. He writes on a regular basis for "The Brasilians" the oldest Brazilian newspaper in the United States. He is also a columnist for “Brazzil” magazine. Brazzil magazine is one of the most successful Brazilian magazines in the internet with a daily average number of approximately 60,000 readers. Mr. Amaral is among a very few remaining living descendants of both José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Patriarch of Brazilian Independence), and his brother Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada - the founding fathers of Brazil. In Brazil, Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada was the author of the document "The Declaration of Independence of Brazil".

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Monday, January 31, 2005

The Brazilian Ruling Class

January 2003

“The Brazilian Ruling Class”

Without José Bonifácio's de Andrada e Silva influence on Brazilian history, we would have instead four or five independent countries in South America where Brazil is located. Without José Bonifácio, Brazil in its current form would simply not exist.

By: Ricardo C. Amaral

My grandmother, my father's mother, was an unusual person in many ways. She had a unique family background. She was a descendant of many illustrious people on both sides of her family. Both of her grandfathers were senators.

Her grandfather, her father's father was Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz, the Barão de Souza Queiroz, (Baron of Souza Queiroz) who holds the record for being a senator for the longest time in Brazilian history. He still was a senator when he died in 1891, after being senator for 42 years (from 1849 to 1891.) He became a deputado (House Representative) for the Province of São Paulo in 1845, and a senator in 1849. He was one of the richest men in Brazil.

Besides being senator, the Barão of Souza Queiroz became Vice-President of the Province of São Paulo on May 18, 1885. The Souza Queiroz family was the most influential family in São Paulo politics from the 1840's until 1930.

The archives of the Portuguese Empire show that the title and the coat-of-arms was transferred to the new Barão of Souza Queiroz, the Brigadier Luiz Antonio de Souza, on February 5, 1818, as shown in the registry of the Cartório da Nobreza, in Portugal, in book l, page 80. In 1874, when D. Pedro II transferred the title of baron to my great/great grandfather Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz, the documentation refers in detail to the information of the title transfer of 1818.

His title included the word "com Grandeza" (with greatness). In heraldry that means that the title carried the right to transfer to their descendants, and also indicated that they were descendants of old nobility. The coat-of-arms of the Barão de Souza Queiroz was subdivided in four parts, each part showing the coat-of-arms of each of his grandparents, because each one of them was part of the old nobility; they also had their own family coat-of-arms.

The Brigadier Luiz Antonio de Souza, born in Portugal, was an officer in D. João IV's army. The Brigadier had a vast family fortune; he was a very wealthy man.

He went to Brazil a little before the Portuguese Royal family also had to go to Brazil, because Napoleon Bonaparte had invaded Portugal in 1808. He married in Brazil, Dona Genebra de Barros Leite, and his oldest son Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz, the future Barão de Souza Queiroz was sent to Portugal to study to became a lawyer at the Coimbra University.

The Brigadier died, and his oldest son, Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz at the age of 18 years old, had to take control of the family's fortune. He turned out to be a great businessman, and a man of vision.

Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz married Antonia Eufrosina Campos Vergueiro de Souza Queiroz, a daughter of Nicolau Pereira de Campos Vergueiro, a Senator, and D. Maria Angelica de Vasconcelos de Campos Vergueiro (following is some information about Senador Vergueiro, one of my grandmother's great/grandfathers).

Senador Vergueiro

In 1778, Nicolau Pereira de Campos Vergueiro was born in Portugal, in Val-da-Porca, Província de Tráz-os-Montes. When he was 25 years old he decided to try his luck in Brazil. He arrived in São Paulo in 1803, and started practicing law with the Arouche brothers, Manuel Joaquim Ornellas, and Manuel Eufrásio de Azevedo Marques. These five lawyers were the only lawyers practicing in this small city of 20 thousand people, including 6 thousand slaves.

Vergueiro adapted very well to the way of life of the São Paulo society. It did not take long before he met Maria Angélica de Vasconcelos. She was a beautiful woman and he was also impressed by her culture. Her family also had prestige, influence and a major fortune. After a short courting period of a few months, he married her.

His law practice prospered and he was well respected in the community. He had a reputation of being competent, and of having good character and integrity. He also started accepting government positions such as: prosecutor (1806), judge of the province (1811), and congressman (1813). In 1807, he bought a farm in the area of the Piracicaba River to produce sugar cane.

He also was the judge in that area, which gave him knowledge and experience in the area of agriculture issues. In 1814, he bought another farm in São Carlos for cattle raising. His agriculture/cattle raising business was doing very well and started growing into a large enterprise. These businesses started becoming his favorite activities.

In 1816 he met a very wealthy man to help him with the finance—the Brigadier Luiz Antonio de Souza who was a pioneer in the development of the São Paulo economy. The Brigadier had introduced to the province a new system of banking credit. They became partners in a company called Vergueiro & Souza; Vergueiro contributed his two farms, and the Brigadier contributed the financing.

In April 23, 1821, when the new provisory government of the São Paulo province was formed, Vergueiro was chosen as Minister of Agriculture of the new government. He also was elected a deputado to represent the Province of São Paulo at the Courts in Lisbon, Portugal. He was second in the number of votes in that election; only Antonio Carlos de Andrada e Silva received more votes than he.

In that same election José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva was elected Vice-President, and his younger brother Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada was elected Finance Minister.

The new deputados arrived in Lisbon on February 5, 1822, after a trip that took 84 days—that was how long it took to cross the Atlantic ocean in 1821. Two deputados distinguished themselves at the Portuguese Courts; Antonio Carlos de Andrada e Silva and Nicolau Pereira de Campos Vergueiro. The Portuguese gave Vergueiro a real hard time; they even called him a traitor, because he was a Portuguese citizen and was fighting for the Brazilian cause.

When he was in Portugal representing Brazil, D. Pedro I proclaimed Brazilian independence. He did not go back to Brazil immediately. He went to the North of Portugal to visit his father and family. He arrived back in Rio de Janeiro on July 27, 1823.

When Emperor D. Pedro I gave the order for the Constituent Assembly dissolution on November 12, 1823, various deputados ended up in prison including José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, his brothers Antonio Carlos and Martim Francisco, and Nicolau Vergueiro. The Andrada brothers were sent to exile in France, but Vergueiro was allowed to stay in Brazil and continue his career as a deputado.

Vergueiro had such a great reputation that finally in 1828 he became a senator representing the State of Minas Gerais. In 1828, he was the politician with the most prestige in Brazil.

When Dom Pedro I abdicated the Brazilian crown on April 7, 1831, in favor of his five year old son, the future Dom Pedro II, based on the 1824 Constitution, congress had to elect three people to the provisory regency. The deputados and senators chose the following people to be regents: the Brigadier Francisco de Lima e Silva (to represent the armed forces), José Joaquim Carneiro de Campos—Marquês de Caravelas (to represent the aristocracy), and Senador Nicolau Pereira de Campos Vergueiro (because of his prestige as a senator).

When congress elected the permanent regents in 1832, he asked congress to not include him as one of the regents. He still was a senator and a minister of the empire. He also accumulated a number of government positions during this period.

He was elected deputado for São Paulo in 1835, and president of the assembly of deputados (1835-1837). He was Vice-President of the São Paulo province (1835-1836), and director of the Faculdade de Direito do Largo de São Francisco (1837-1842). He finally left the assembly of deputados in 1847, when he was 69 years old.

In 1842 when a liberal revolution in São Paulo and Minas Gerais was crushed by the troops of the Barão de Caxias, Vergueiro ended up in prison for two years, because he was one of the people who inspired the movement.

Vergueiro was against slavery, and he was the first farmer in Brazil, starting in 1840, to bring over three thousand immigrants from Germany to work as farm hands in the country. After a very distinguished career, Vergueiro died in Rio de Janeiro, on September 18, 1859.

Barão de Souza Queiroz

Francisco Antonio de Souza Queiroz (Barão de Souza Queiroz) was born in São Paulo on December 8, 1807. He died in São Paulo on July 4, 1891, in his dear Chácara Velha, which was located in the center of São Paulo, in the Avenida São Luiz, facing the Consolação Street. His house was in the same location where today we have the Municipal Library Mário Andrade.

The Barão of Souza Queiroz was one of the richest men in Brazil during his lifetime. He had vast land holdings in the Province of São Paulo including farmland in the following areas: Campinas, Limeira, Leme, Belém do Descalvado, and São Manoel. Most of his farmlands were located along the way of one of his companies; the Companhia Paulista de Vias Férreas e Fluviais.

In 1834, he married Antonia Eufrosina de Campos Vergueiro, Senador Vergueiro's daughter. He had 12 children with his wife. The majority of his children, when they reached 14 years old, were sent to Germany to further their studies. Before they left Brazil they knew which school they were to be enrolled in Germany. Only two of his sons decided to stay in Brazil to study at the Faculdade de Direito de São Paulo.

As soon as his children returned from studying in Europe, or graduated from the Faculdade de Direito de São Paulo, they were sent to the Fazenda Quilombo in Campinas. This is where his children got their training in farm management, and learned how to administer with competence a sugar cane or coffee plantation.

They learned everything necessary to manage a farm, including how to handle the slaves and later the immigrant labor. As soon as they were ready, each child of the Barão de Souza Queiroz, received as a gift a farmland, money, slaves and other farm help to get them started in their new coffee plantation. Only one son of the Barão did not receive his share of the wealth, because he died in the ship when he was returning to Brazil after finishing his studies in Europe.

In descending order by age, the Barão of Souza Queiroz distributed farmland to his children as follows:

Francisco Antonio, married to Francisca Miquelina de Paula de Souza Queiroz, daughter of the Barão de Limeira, received the fazenda Araquá, in São Manoel.

Luiz Antonio, married to Antonia Pompeu de Camargo, the fazenda Ibijuba, in Belém do Descalvado.

Carolina, married to Manuel Batista da Cruz Tamandaré, the fazenda Tamandaré, also in Belém do Descalvado.

Nicolau, married to Isabel Dabney de Abelar Brather, the fazenda Bela Aliança, also in Belém do Descalvado.

Maria Angélica, married to Francisco Aguiar de Barros, the fazenda Santa Maria, also in Belém do Descalvado.

Antonio, married to Vitalina Pompeu de Camargo, the fazenda Tabajara, in Limeira.

Augusto, married first Antonia de Barros Freire, and later he had a second wife Gessy Pompeu do Amaral, the fazenda Sete Quedas, in Campinas.

Helena, married to Manuel Joaquim de Albuquerque Lins (he was governor of the State of São Paulo), the fazenda São Gerônimo, in Limeira.

Frederico, married to Augusta de Pádua Fleury, the fazenda Jaguaquara, in Tietê.

José, married to Gisela Brauer, the fazenda Cressiumal, in Leme.

Carlos, married to Maria Flora de Andrada e Silva, the fazenda Ibicatu, in Leme.

My grandmother's father was Carlos, the youngest son of the Barão of Souza Queiroz. Carlos was married to Maria Flora de Andrada e Silva a daughter of José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger).

My grandmother's mother's side of her family was even more influential in Brazilian history, because that side of the family included the following people:

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger) who was a son of Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada and his wife Gabriela Frederica Ribeiro de Andrada (she was a daughter of José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, The Patriarch of Brazilian Independence.) Martim Francisco was 12 years younger than his brother José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Patriarch), and he married his niece.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger) was my grandmother's grandfather. Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada was her great/grandfather. And finally, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Patriarch) was her great/great/grandfather. I will return to the Andrada side of the family later.

A Man of Vision

After distributing so much land to his children, the Barão still had his own farmland to grow coffee, since coffee was one of the main commodities in Brazil, and helped to make many people very wealthy.

The Barão himself enjoyed the life in the city; he was not a farm person. He became one of the major real estate developers in São Paulo. Everything that he received as rent of his properties he reinvested in the center of São Paulo, buying new land and building new properties.

He had properties in Rua Direita, Rua José Bonifácio, and his Chácara Velha had about 6 alqueires, and went from Rua Consolação to where Praça da República is located today, and to Rua 7 de Abril. The Barão built the Avenida São Luiz on his property, in the center of São Paulo. He gave each one of his children a piece of land along Avenida São Luiz for them to build their homes.

The Souza Queiroz family also had a parcel of land going all the way to Praça João Mendes. This is why the two viadutos (bridges) that go to Praça João Mendes (one called Dona Paulina, and the other Maria Paula), were named in honor to the two sisters of the Barão of Souza Queiroz. Avenida Brigadeiro Luiz Antonio was named in honor of the Barão's father.

The Barão also owned a large section of Rua Florêncio de Abreu, around the train station of São Paulo, Estação da Luz. This area was an important commercial center at that time. They had many warehouses that served as the distribution center of goods to the port of Santos, and received foreign goods from Santos to be distributed in the interior of São Paulo.

The Barão had many of these warehouses. He built his buildings with 2 to 3 floors. On the first floor, they stored the goods and commodities. On the upper floors he had rooms to be rented to people traveling, and to businessmen. Some of the buildings had a restaurant area for dining. Just a reminder: at that time São Paulo had no hotels.

Based on the testament of the Baroness de Souza Queiroz, dated December 4, 1891, the Baroness listed the ownership of over 100 properties, and an extensive stock portfolio including a number of railroads and bank stocks. The Barão was one of the major shareholders of the Banco Comércio e Indústria de São Paulo. He was also a major shareholder of— among other companies—the Companhia Ituana, and the Companhia Paulista Vias Férreas e Fluviais.

When the Barão turned 65 years old, he resigned of most of his corporate positions, and from then on he spent his time doing philanthropy. He founded in November 1874 a philanthropic organization named Associação Barão de Souza Queiroz de Proteção à Infâcia e à Juventude-Instituto Dona Ana Rosa. He set up this organization in such way that the organization was financially independent.

The greater part of the funding made available for the organization was invested in the purchase of real estate in central São Paulo. The income from the rental of these properties has supported the institute for the last 127 years. Throughout all this time, the association has been maintained by the Barão's descendants, now in the sixth generation. All members of the Board of Trustees of this organization always have been descendants of the Barão.

Over the years the organization took care of more than 2,000 children per year. But lately the organization has been able to help about 1,200 children; they have a crèche for children up to seven, and a center for children age 7 to 14, and provide ten courses in jobs skills such as carpentry, cooking, printing and computing, among others.

Our family never liked any publicity about this organization, but The Institute Dona Ana Rosa came into the spotlight in 1999, when the organization received a cash prize and was ranked number 8 in the ranking of the 100 Best Run Charities of Latin America and the Emerging Countries.

Today, my cousin Maria Nazareth Soares de Camargo Meira de Castro is the elected President of this outstanding organization, and she can be reached at the following number in São Paulo, Brazil: telephone 55-11-37446747.

Her organization also has all the information about the Barão de Souza Queiroz, in Portuguese. The information includes not only the biography of the Barão, but also all kinds of copies of other documentation such as the transfer of the title and coat-of-arms, copy of the testament of the Baroness made soon after the Barão died in 1891, and copies of pictures and correspondence that the family exchanged with various members of the Royal Family after the Republic was proclaimed in Brazil in 1889 and the Royal Family had moved to Paris, France.

The Andradas

When historians refer to The Andrada Brothers they are referring to the three brothers, as follows:

A) José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva ( B 1763 - D 1838),

B) Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada e Silva ( B 1775 - D 1844), and

C) Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada Machado e Silva ( B 1773 - D 1845).

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva is one of the greatest statesmen in world history, but he is unknown to the American public. In terms of Brazil, he is Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and George Washington embodied in one person.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva was the architect of Brazilian independence; that is why he is known as "The Patriarch of Independence". He guided Brazil through its independence process from 1821 to 1823. During this period José Bonifácio was the Prime Minister and his brother Martim Francisco was the Finance Minister of Brazil.

We can summarize José Bonifácio's importance to Brazilian history as follows: Without José Bonifácio's influence on Brazilian history, we would have instead four or five independent countries in South America where Brazil is located. Without José Bonifácio in its history, the country Brazil in its current form would not exist today. The major reason to honor José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva is the fact that Brazilians owe him the country which we call Brazil today. The country itself was José Bonifácio's legacy to future Brazilian generations.

Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada

There is a sharp contrast between the United States and Brazil in the recognition that they give to the respective authors of their “Declaration of Independence” documents. In the United States, Thomas Jefferson is held in the highest esteem by its citizens. However, in Brazil, Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada is not as widely known by the Brazilian population as the author of the document “The Declaration of Independence of Brazil.”

The Andrada Brothers Expelled from the Constituent Assembly

The Andrada Brothers with their leadership, had a major impact on the Constituent Assembly and also guided the proceedings of the process of framing the first Brazilian Constitution . This Constitution was effective December 13, 1823.

The Emperor watched the three Andrada brothers continue to dominate the situation. Finally he got his horse and, followed by a group of horseman, went to the Constituent Assembly. The forces surrounded the Constituent Assembly building and pointed their artillery at the door of the building, and Brigadier Moraes passed on to the Constituent Assembly the Emperors' order for their dissolution. Antônio Carlos and Martim Francisco were held prisoners as soon as they left the building.

On November 13, 1823 a new group started deliberating the Constitution; at that point most of the articles of the Constitution had been decided and they were in the process of being submitted to the Municipal Chambers of the States for review. Dom Pedro told them to finalize the Constitution by December 13, 1823. This Constitution was to be effective as of December 13, 1823 and the swearing ceremony would be done on March 25, 1824.

The port of Rio de Janeiro was reopened on November 24, 1823 as soon as the ship Lucônia left Brazil with the prisoners. When José Bonifácio, Martim Francisco, and Antônio Carlos went down in the ship, they had a nice surprise. Their families were waiting for them to go with them into exile in France.

In the beginning of 1828, Martim Francisco and Antônio Carlos returned to Brazil with their families. They returned to defend themselves, including José Bonifácio, against all of the charges brought forth by the government. José Bonifácio stayed in France with his wife.

As soon as they arrived in Rio de Janeiro they presented themselves to the authorities who imprisoned them immediately in the prison in the Ilha das Cobras. They prepared their defense and they destroyed their adversaries in court. They got a unanimous absolution on September 6, 1828. Their names were cleared and vindicated.

The Andradas Continue Their Political Careers

When Martim Francisco was in prison he was invited to take a position as a government Minister.

He did not accept the offer and told them that first he had to get justice and prove his innocence. Also, when he was in prison in 1828 he was elected deputado for the Minas Gerais province. Later in 1838, Martim Francisco was elected deputado for the São Paulo province. Antônio Carlos also was elected deputado when he returned from exile in 1828 and resumed his political career in Brazil.

After the Andradas had been vindicated in Brazil, José Bonifácio stayed one more year in France before he returned to Brazil. José Bonifácio left Bordeaux at the end of May 1829 to return to Rio de Janeiro. He arrived in Brazil on July 23, 1829. When José Bonifácio was in exile, the Province of Bahia elected him deputado to represent them in Congress. José Bonifácio returned to Congress as a Bahia representative only on June 22, 1831.

Martim Francisco and Antônio Carlos Appointed Ministers in 1840

The Andradas began to organize public demonstrations in support of the emancipation of Dom Pedro II, and engaged in debate using the press to get further public support. Disregarding the pleas from the leader of the government for postponement, a joint session of Congress invested Dom Pedro with imperial authority on July 23, 1840. The young Prince was fourteen years old. He took the oath to uphold the Constitution and from then on he was Emperor Pedro II.

Unlike his father, Dom Pedro II had been born and educated in Brazil. His tutors, starting with José Bonifácio, exposed him to heavy doses of Enlightenment thought. During his later years in power some political commentators referred to Dom Pedro II's government as the best republican government in the Americas.

When the Emperor Dom Pedro II formed his first cabinet of ministers in 1840, he rewarded the Andrada brothers by appointing Antônio Carlos as the Prime Minister, and Martim Francisco as the Finance Minister.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva's Noble Ancestry

According to historian Afrânio Peixoto (1876-1947) in his study of José Bonifácio's genealogical family tree, he found out that José Bonifácio's great-grandfather was a younger brother of Dom Joäo IV, O Restaurador (The Restorer). Dom Joäo IV was the King of Portugal from 1640 to 1656 and he was credited with restoring the liberty of the Portuguese people from Spanish rule.

It was during the reign of Dom João l that the Portuguese aristocracy began to be officially ranked by the categories and titles typical of the French and English nobility. João l was fortunate in possessing the qualities of a successful prince and in having ministers and a family of the highest quality. He was himself a cultured and learned man, prudent almost to a fault, and astute in his political dealings.

João I's English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John the Gaunt, was a most exemplary princess, both as a wife and a queen. Their five sons were the most talented and imaginative generation of heirs in Portuguese history.

The Bragança Dynasty

The first dukedom in Portuguese aristocratic history had been created by the crown during the reign of D. João I (1384-1433), and given to his son Afonso who became the first Duke of Bragança.

In 1578, the young ruler of Portugal Sebastião I died in battle creating a crisis of succession for the Portuguese crown. The late king's sixty-six year old great-uncle Cardinal D. Henrique, was left regent but lived only a year and a half, ending the rule of the Aviz dynasty. The strongest claimant to the throne was Felipe II of Spain, for he was the uncle of Sebastião and his first wife had been a Portuguese princess.

Then for a period of 60 years, Portugal was ruled from Spain by the Hapsburg dynasty from 1580 to 1640.

In 1637 an economic crisis was under way in Portugal, followed by a revolt in 1640. At that time, the leading descendant of the Portuguese royal family, Dom João, eighth Duke of Bragança, was acclaimed as a national leader. Grandson of a daughter of Dom João III (1521-1557), and the greatest landholder in Portugal, with 80,000 peasants on his Alentejo estates, João of Bragança was the natural leader of Portuguese society. He was born on March 19, 1604 in Portugal, and he died on November 6, 1656.

On December 1, 1640 Dom João of Bragança was acclaimed king of Portugal as Dom João IV, and he restored the Portuguese monarchy. This is why he is also named Dom João IV, The Restorer, and he ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1656.

He was the first king of the Bragança dynasty, a dynasty that ruled Portugal until 1910, and also ruled Brazil from 1822 to 1889.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva and his Aviz, Bragança and Lancaster Dynasty Ancestry

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva was a great/great-grandson of the 7th Duke of Bragança, and his great-grandfather was a younger brother of the 8th Duke of Bragança who became in 1640, Dom João IV king of Portugal.

José Bonifácio's great-grandfather also was a great-grandson of Dom João III (1521-1557), a Portuguese king from the Aviz dynasty. Dom João III ruled Portugal at the height of Portuguese power.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva and his brothers Martim Francisco and Antonio Carlos were descendants of the Aviz Dynasty. The Andrada brothers were the 6th generation direct descendants of Dom João III.

On the Bragança side they were direct descendants of the 7th Duke of Bragança, and going back many generations they also were descendants of D. João I of the Aviz Dynasty, and of his British queen of the Lancaster Dynasty.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger)

My grandmother's grandfather was a son of Martim Francisco, and grandson of José Bonifácio, The Patriarch. He also was a nephew of The Patriarch, because his father Martim Francisco had married his niece, a daughter of The Patriarch.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger) was born on November 8, 1827, in France during exile. He was named José Bonifácio in honor of his famous grandfather.

José Bonifácio (The Younger) had such prestige in literary circles that critics compared him with the best writers of the time. The highest literary honor in Brazil is to become a member of the Brazilian Academy of letters. The Academy has only 40 chairs and when a member is elected to one of these chairs he holds that honor to the end of his life. Each chair has a patron and the chair is named in his honor. The patron of chair number 22 at the Brazilian Academy of Letters is my great/great grandfather: José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger).

José Bonifácio was elected deputado on June 14, 1861. He was appointed Minister of the Navy on June 29, 1862. He stayed in that position until a new Ministry was formed by the government on May 12, 1865. Later he spent another period as a government Minister. After that on December 9, 1878 he was elected Senator representing the State of São Paulo. When he died of a heart attack on October 25, 1886 he was still a Senator.

My grandmother's maiden name was Sylvia Andrada de Souza Queiroz. When I was young, I used to spend my weekends in my grandmother's house, and sometimes stayed with her on my vacation for weeks at a time. My grandmother reminds me of a sophisticated French or Italian baroness. She was very proper all the time, and she did not like jokes or language that was not proper for a lady.

She always wore gray, navy blue or black skirts, and white, black or lilac color silk and linen blouses. First thing in the morning and she was completely dressed up and her hair was done. She always looked like she was going out to some special function. It did not matter the time of day or day of the week, my grandmother was always impeccably dressed. Since I was a little kid, I never even once saw my grandmother casually dressed. She died at age 95, she had a very nice life since she was very wealthy and never had to work for a living her entire life. She was the last link to an age long gone.

The Andrada brothers have streets, avenues, squares, and monuments named in their honor all over Brazil. The Andrada family became very influential in Brazilian politics since 1821. Even after the three brothers' death, over 25 of their descendants had illustrious political careers and became deputados, senators and ministers in Brazil.

Copyright © 2003 All rights reserved.
By: Ricardo C. Amaral
Author / Economist

brazilamaral@yahoo.com

*****

Published by “The Brasilians” and also by Brazzil magazine in January 2003.

Brazzil Magazine - January 2003

“The Brazilian Ruling Class”

Written by Ricardo C. Amaral

http://www.brazzillog.com/pages/p107jan03.htm

The Greatest Man in Brazilian History.

July 2000

“The Greatest Man in Brazilian History”

Without José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, Brazil would not exist in its current form. He was aware of the disintegration of the Spanish America, which split into eight independent countries between 1810 and 1830.
By: Ricardo C. Amaral

This article is in commemoration of Brazil's 500th anniversary. (Brazil's actual birthday date is April 22, 2000)

Most well educated Brazilians know that José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva is the "Patriarch of Independence" of Brazil. He is one of the greatest statesman in world history, but he is unknown to the American public.

Most people don't know enough of our Brazilian history and its details to appreciate the reasons why José Bonifácio (the founding father of Brazil) is considered the most important figure in Brazilian history. There is no other person in Brazilian history who comes close to José Bonifácio in the impact that he had on the history of the country.

To demonstrate José Bonifácio's importance to the history of Brazil, we can say that José Bonifácio was responsible for the unification of Brazil in 1822. It was José Bonifácio's statesmanship ability that united the country which we call Brazil. The country that he united in 1822 is almost the same size as the country that we have today. Since 1822 Brazil gained just a little and lost a little territory.

There was no unity in Brazil in 1822 or before 1822. The north of Brazil had better communications with Europe than with Rio de Janeiro. He unified a very large country with his exceptional political savvy and statesmanship skills, with a small army, with a small navy and with almost no bloodshed.

The Outstanding Prime Minister

If José Bonifácio had made a single mistake during that very delicate turning point in Brazilian history, the result would have been disastrous for Brazil. If they had to fight multiple rebellions for independence from the north to the south of Brazil then everything could have gotten out of control and their small army and navy would not have a single chance to keep the new nation together (Brazil was too large to be controlled with this small army and navy with the communication and transportation systems available in Brazil in 1822). If that had happened the result would have been disastrous, and Brazil would have been split into five or six independent countries at that point.

In 1621, Maranhão became a separate colony of Portugal, because it was easier to maintain communications from Maranhão in the north of Brazil with Lisbon, in Portugal, than with the capital of Brazil, São Salvador, in the Captaincy of Bahia. The new colony of Portugal included most of the Captaincies north and west of Cabo São Roque, and included parts of Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão, Pará and Amazonas. This colony was never prosperous.

In 1822 at the time of the Brazilian independence from Portugal, the north of Brazil was precariously connected to the south. The king of Portugal preferred to keep the Captaincies (States) isolated and ignorant of one another. Royal edicts of 1614 and 1620 prohibited a governor-general from one Captaincy to visit another Captaincy in Brazil without permission from Portugal.

To put things in the right perspective let's review some facts and some other events which were happening around the 1820's. The United States in the 1820's was a country half of today's size. The United States consisted of its thirteen original states. It had also acquired a new piece of land by the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 and Florida in 1819 from Spain. Even if we added the newly purchased lands to the United States, the U.S. still was half of the size of Brazil in 1822, the time of Brazilian independence.

The United States had to fight an independence war in 1776 to achieve the independence of its thirteen original states. U.S. independence was achieved with bloodshed and suffering for American colonists. By contrast, Brazilian independence was achieved with very little bloodshed because of José Bonifácio's statesmanship abilities. Without José Bonifácio in its history, the country Brazil in its current form would not exist today.

José Bonifácio was aware of the disintegration of the Spanish empire in the Americas. Spanish America disintegrated into eight separate and independent countries during the period 1810 to 1830. Spanish America broke up into various republics and their independence was as follows: Paraguay (1811), Argentina (1816), Chile (1818), Colombia (1819), Ecuador (1822), Peru (1824), Bolivia (1825), and Venezuela (1830). The independence of these countries from Spain was accomplished with a twenty-year civil war in that region of South America and split Spanish America into eight independent republics. Uruguay got its independence in 1828 from Brazil.

Dom Pedro I lost the Cisplatine Province—the country called Uruguay today—in a disastrous war with Argentina in 1828. If Dom Pedro I had kept José Bonifácio as his Prime Minister in the late 1820's, instead of sending him into exile, most likely the country Uruguay still would be part of Brazil today.

We can summarize José Bonifácio's importance to Brazilian history as follows: Without José Bonifácio's influence on Brazilian history, we would have instead four or five independent countries in South America where Brazil is located, and we would not be commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Brazilian nation. Without José Bonifácio in its history, the country Brazil in its current form would not exist today.

The major reason to honor José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva is the fact that Brazilians owe him the country which we call Brazil today. The country itself was José Bonifácio's legacy to future Brazilian generations.

The impact, which José Bonifácio had as the architect of Brazilian independence did not happen by chance, but as a result of his life-long hard work and experience. He had all the credentials and knowledge which he had acquired in Europe during the thirty six years in which he lived there, before returning to Brazil in 1819 to do a masterful job in directing Brazil in its independence process.

When Prince Dom Pedro asked José Bonifácio to be his Prime Minister in 1822, the Prince Regent was aware that he could not find a more qualified person for that job in Brazil. José Bonifácio told the Prince Regent that he would accept the position only when allowed to impose his unlimited authority. Dom Pedro did not hesitate. He armed José Bonifácio with the highest level of authority possible. The investiture of José Bonifácio carried with it the most extensive powers that any minister had in the history of the imperial or republican Brazil.

The World in the Early 1800's

To help put things in the right perspective I want to make two important points. First, the journalist/historian James Burke in his television series about world history called Connections gave the viewer some interesting information. In one of the episodes he mentioned that most people who lived up to the early 1800's spent their entire lives never traveling farther than a 20 mile radius from the place where they were born. In other words, most people lived in a small and limited world.

Second, in 1822, the Brazilian population was estimated to be around 4.4 million people. The white population was around 2.0 million people, and only about 10 percent of them were literate or semi-literate. Very few people had an advanced education.

The percentage of people literate or semi-literate in Brazil improved a little bit by 1890. The census of 1890 in Brazil shows that out of a total population of 14 million people only 14.8 % were literate or semi-literate.

These points are important because they describe the world in which José Bonifácio was living from 1780 to 1838, where most people lived in this very limited world of 20 miles radius, and the great majority of people were illiterate or semi-literate.

José Bonifácio's Education

José Bonifácio was an extraordinary human being. He had attended some of the best universities of his time; he studied mathematics, philosophy, astronomy and law. He received his philosophy degree in 1787 and his law degree in 1788. Later he studied and did research in the top universities in France, Germany and Scandinavia. He traveled extensively throughout Europe from 1789 through 1800.

He met a large number of the best scientists of his day, including Fourcroy, Vauquelin, Priestley, Lavoisier and many others. He visited many of the well-known universities and scientific research centers of Europe of his day.

José Bonifácio was fluent in six languages (he was able to write and read): Portuguese, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. He understood 11 languages in total, and he also had complete command of Greek and Latin.

He traveled extensively throughout Europe and witnessed first hand how different places and different people were organized and how their society operated. He was in Paris in the period 1790 through 1792, and he was very interested in the debates of the Convention in Paris. He stayed in Paris until the proclamation of the French Republic in September 1792. During this period he frequented a very exclusive group of powerful thinkers; some of them had influenced and played a major role in the French Revolution and others were authorities in their fields of specialization.

The Portugal Period: 1800 - 1819

After he returned to Portugal in 1800, he was appointed to many positions of responsibility by the Portuguese government. He also participated in the war effort to defend Portugal from three French invasions from 1808 to 1812. José Bonifácio left Portugal with his family on August 19, 1819 to return to Brazil. He was 56 and 1/2 years old, considered an advanced age in 1819, and he had been living out of Brazil for 36 years.

When he arrived in Brazil in early November 1819, he was a respected and well-known scientist in the top scientific research centers of Europe of his day. He came back to Brazil to retire and to enjoy his remaining days doing scientific research and writing, hardly knowing that the biggest accomplishments of his life and what would immortalize him in world history were still ahead of him.

The greatest accomplishment of Dom Pedro's life (the Prince Regent) in regard to Brazil, was to appoint José Bonifácio his Prime Minister, and not hesitating in arming José Bonifácio with unlimited authority to do his job.

The Independence Process

The Prince Regent, and later Emperor, on various occasions made a point of showing in public the high regard that he had for his Prime Minister by handing him in official ceremonies the bastion of mordomo-mor, symbol of uncontested prestige. This set the stage for José Bonifácio to assume his Prime Minister position. which would enable him to do a masterful job that culminated with the independence of Brazil from Portugal.

To this day no one has accomplished so much in Brazilian history as José Bonifácio, and his accomplishments were done in a very short period of time in the three years from 1821 to 1823. In those three years José Bonifácio provoked the most outstanding hatred that any politician tasted in Brazil. During this period he could count on support only from a few trusted friends and from his other two brothers Martim Francisco and Antônio Carlos. They were instrumental and also played important supporting roles in the independence of Brazil.

There was a hatred of the Portuguese as they were a dominant force in Rio de Janeiro. There was also a hatred of various groups of Brazilians. These groups of Brazilians could not see in José Bonifácio's political actions the defense of national unity and territorial integrity.

José Bonifácio had a clear vision, objective and realistic, of the functions of a modern State. In his writings and personal correspondence, in most documents, in government decrees, and in official and diplomatic correspondence to other governments, we can see that he understood the social and economic problems of his day. He also had a profound understanding of the political issues and of what could be realistically done.

His goal was to guide Brazil to a smoother transition than the one that he had seen in France during the French Revolution. He also was aware of the current anarchy present in the new nations that were getting their independence from the Spanish Empire, as was the case in Argentina.

In his writings, correspondence, government documents and government decrees we can see that José Bonifácio and his brother Martim Francisco had an excellent grasp of economic theory and that their thoughts were way ahead of their time in that subject.

The liberal reforms that José Bonifácio was putting in place to completely restructure, not only the economic but also the political and social life in Brazil, created a momentum to form an incredible coalition of Portuguese and Brazilian land and slave owners. This powerful coalition was so strong that eventually they forced José Bonifácio out of power.

The Critical Period

There was a critical nine-month period from March 1822 to December 1822 in which José Bonifácio almost in a despotic fashion issued decree after decree establishing the foundations, which would give the social, political and economic structure for the new nation. José Bonifácio's actions were arrogant, inflexible, firm, and irreconcilable with dissident groups, but at the same time they were compatible with the people and the nation whose interests he was defending.

When José Bonifácio participated in the provisory government of São Paulo, he prepared a document that was signed by the members of the provisory government on October 9, 1821 called "Lembranças e Apontamentos". This document might be the most important document in the history of reforms in Brazil. The document provided a complete master plan for the new nation and covered in detail all the necessary building blocks of social, political and economic life.

José Bonifácio's major accomplishment in Brazil was the consolidation of independence with national sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity.

The Andrada Brothers

When historians refer to "The Andrada Brothers" they are referring to the three brothers, as follows:

A) José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (B 1763 - D 1838)

B) Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada (B 1775 - D 1844)

C) Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada Machado e Silva (B 1773 - D 1845)

In 1995, I wrote two articles about José Bonifácio and I posted them in a newsgroup about Brazil. I received many emails in reply to the postings, most of them asking further questions about the Andrada brothers. But some of the emails received from the readers were critical of them, mentioning that the Andrada brothers were considered radical in their time.

Were the Andrada brothers radical?

A radical in this context would be a person who favors fundamental or extreme change, favoring basic change in the social or economic structure of a country. Can the Andrada brothers be considered radical when we look back and analyze their involvement in the history of Brazil? The answer is yes. There is no question that they were radical. Let's analyze why, in order of events from 1817 to 1840.

Antônio Carlos was working in Olinda, Pernambuco Province, as a magistrate when a republican and mason revolution broke out in that province in 1817. He was asked to join the leadership of that revolution. He even sent a letter to José Bonifácio in Portugal dated April 14, 1817 describing what was happening. In that letter he mentioned how well the revolution had turned out.

A short time later José Bonifácio (in Portugal) found out that the revolution in Pernambuco had been a disaster for the revolutionists. Most of the leaders of that revolution had been hanged. The only reason they spared Antônio Carlos' life was because they knew he was a brother of José Bonifácio. (The revolution in Pernambuco was crushed by the Portuguese and lasted only 75 days.)

Antônio Carlos spent four years in prison for participating in that revolution. When José Bonifácio returned to Brazil at the end of 1819, his brother Antônio Carlos was still in prison in the province of Bahia.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva was the architect of Brazilian independence; that is why he is known as "The Patriarch of Independence." He guided Brazil through its independence process from 1821 to 1823. During this period José Bonifácio was the Prime Minister and his brother Martim Francisco was the Finance Minister of Brazil.

The First Brazilian Constitution

The three "Andrada brothers" continued participating in the Constituent Assembly after José Bonifácio and Martim Francisco resigned from their government positions. Antônio Carlos was a representative of São Paulo. José Bonifácio had been elected Deputado from São Paulo and Martim Francisco had been elected Deputado from Rio de Janeiro.

They needed a leader to direct the Constituent Assembly. José Bonifácio knew that he was not a great orator. He also had some other drawbacks, as he did not worry about being amiable or courteous. Any one could see when he was angry, and he had a certain arrogant manner. Martim Francisco was a good orator but his personality was a carbon copy of José Bonifácio's and he also projected that arrogant manner.

Antônio Carlos was a great orator; as a matter of fact he was considered the greatest orator in Brazil in his generation (1817 to 1845). Later, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (The Younger), son of Martim Francisco and grandson of the Patriarch also was considered the greatest orator of his generation (1850 to 1886).

Antônio Carlos took the leadership position to lead and to guide the proceedings of the process of framing the first Brazilian Constitution. José Bonifácio used his brothers to make his points. He had full confidence in the abilities of his brothers to get his points across, but he was always in the background giving support to them.

Out of the almost one hundred representatives of the States in the Constituent Assembly, besides the three Andrada brothers, only three or four people made contributions to the framing of the Constitution.

The Andrada brothers started attacking the administration through their editorials in their newspaper O Tamoio. They were right in their attacks. What the Portuguese were doing arose suspicion that they wanted to reunite Brazil with Portugal. José Bonifácio and Martim Francisco, belonging to the opposition party, made constant attacks on the cabinet of ministers, causing them considerable embarrassment.

The fight got so heated that the members of the Constituent Assembly were worried that their existence was in jeopardy. The Emperor was so angry with the Andradas that he decided to dissolve the Constituent Assembly or to expel the Andradas from the Constituent Assembly. The Emperor watched the three Andrada brothers continue to dominate the situation. Finally he got his horse and, followed by a group of horsemen, went to the Constituent Assembly.

The forces surrounded the Constituent Assembly building and pointed their artillery at the door of the building, and Brigadier Moraes passed on to the Constituent Assembly the Emperors' order for their dissolution. Antônio Carlos and Martim Francisco were held prisoners as soon as they left the building.

The port of Rio de Janeiro was reopened on November 24, 1823 as soon as the ship "Lucônia" left Brazil with the prisoners. When José Bonifácio, Martim Francisco, and Antônio Carlos went down in the ship, they had a nice surprise. Their families were waiting for them to go with them into exile.

When Martim Francisco was in prison he was invited to take a position as a government Minister. He did not accept the offer and told them that first he had to get justice and prove his innocence.

Also, when he was in prison in 1828 he was elected Deputado for the Minas Gerais province. Later in 1838, Martim Francisco was elected Deputado for the São Paulo province. Antônio Carlos also was elected Deputado when he returned from exile in 1828, and he resumed his political career in Brazil.

After the Andradas had been vindicated in Brazil, José Bonifácio stayed one more year in France before he returned to Brazil. José Bonifácio left Bordeaux at the end of May 1829 to return to Rio de Janeiro. He arrived in Brazil on July 23, 1829. When José Bonifácio was in exile, the province of Bahia elected him Deputado to represent them in Congress. José Bonifácio returned to Congress as a Bahia representative only on June 22, 1831.

After José Bonifácio's death in 1838, his brothers Martim Francisco and Antônio Carlos continued their political careers. The political situation was a mess in Brazil in April 1840. The Andrada brothers and other liberal leaders organized a secret club to promote the emancipation of Dom Pedro II. The Andradas began to organize public demonstrations in support of the emancipation of Dom Pedro II, and engaged in debate using the press to get further public support.

Disregarding the pleas from the leader of the government for postponement, a joint session of Congress invested Dom Pedro with imperial authority on July 23, 1840. The young Prince was fourteen years old. He took the oath to uphold the Constitution and from then on he was Emperor Pedro II.

Unlike his father, Dom Pedro II had been born and educated in Brazil. His tutors, starting with José Bonifácio, exposed him to heavy doses of enlightenment thought. During his later years in power some political commentators referred to Dom Pedro II's government as the best republican government in the Americas.

A fact, which many well-educated Brazilians don't know, is that Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada was entrusted with the job of drafting the Declaration of Independence of Brazil. After reviewing the detail of the document with José Bonifácio, the document was immediately sent to Prince Dom Pedro. In the United States, Thomas Jefferson is the author of the document The Declaration of Independence of the United States. In Brazil, Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada is the author of the document The Declaration of Independence of Brazil.

Fighting Slavery and Landowners

Why was the economic establishment of his time so afraid of José Bonifácio? The basis of the Brazilian economy was agriculture and mining, which were performed by slave labor. As a matter of fact in Brazil they used slave labor for everything including manufacturing (a reason which José Bonifácio highlighted; he pointed out that this was one of the major reasons for the Brazilian low productivity in that sector), as compared with the United States where slave labor was used mostly in agriculture.

José Bonifácio was against slavery, and he wanted to free the slaves. He was also in favor of major agrarian reform. These two issues which José Bonifácio was fighting for so hard would have shaken the Brazilian economy of his time to its foundations. If he was able to end slavery and get his agrarian reform proposal passed, the result would have been that the Brazilian economy would have to go through a major restructuring. These would have been radical changes to the structure of the Brazilian economy of his time and these changes made everyone involved very worried including the landowners, slave owners, and slave traders, and these were a very powerful groups of people of his day.

Most of the above information with the proper footnotes can be found in much more detail in the book José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva - The Greatest Man in Brazilian History by Ricardo C. Amaral. - Copyright © 1999

brazilamaral@yahoo.com

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Published by:

This article was the cover story at “The Brasilians” newspaper in 1999, and it was also published by Brazzil magazine in July 2000.

Brazzil Magazine - July 2000

“The Greatest Man in Brazilian History”

Written by Ricardo C. Amaral

http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/67-july-2000/6955.html

The Andrada Doctrine Part 1

January 1, 2005

“The Andrada Doctrine – Part I”

In May 30, 1822, Brazil through the “Andrada Doctrine” became the original leader of the Americas regarding foreign policy issues dealing with the defense of the American continent against European interference in the affairs of the countries of the American hemisphere

By: Ricardo C. Amaral

Year 1822 - A Major Turning Point in Brazilian History.

In November 1807, when Napoleon's army invaded Portugal, the day before the French forces reached Lisbon, on November 30, 1807, the Portuguese Royal Family and most of the Portuguese Court (around four thousand people) left Portugal, and moved to Brazil. Most of these people stayed in Brazil until April 1821.

During the period February 1808 when the Portuguese family arrived in Brazil, until April 1821 when the Portuguese Royal family and most of the Portuguese Court left Brazil to return to Portugal for all practical purposes the Portuguese Empire had been run from Brazil. This is the only example that we have in history of the government of a European country running its affairs from a country in the Americas. In 1821, Brazil was already a very large country, and its land area covered about the same area that Brazil covers today.

The fact that Brazil was the center of the Portuguese empire during this period projected Brazil in the early decades of the 1800’s to a very special position; the position of leading country of the Americas.

King Dom João Vl enjoyed his life in Brazil, and he loved Rio de Janeiro. But European events finally forced the monarchs’ return to Portugal. In the year 1820 there was a rash of rebellions against absolute monarchies in Europe. Inspired by these revolts, Portuguese liberals rebelled in Oporto late in 1820 and demanded a constitution. The movement spread to Lisbon, and Dom João Vl was faced with the choice of returning to Portugal to fight for his crown or of losing it. Reluctantly he chose to return.

When the Portuguese Royal family left Portugal in November of 1807, Maria I (1777 – 1816) was the queen in Portugal, and after his mother’s death in 1816 Prince Dom João had his coronation in Rio de Janeiro as King João VI (1816 – 1826.) In November 1807 when he went to Brazil, Prince Dom Pedro who was born on October 12, 1798, was a child of only 9 years old.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva Returns to Brazil in 1819

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva who was born on June 13, 1763 in Brazil, he was 44 years old when the Royal family left Portugal to go to Brazil in 1807. At that time he was already considered the most famous and important scientist in Portugal, and since the late 1790’s he had enjoyed major prestige in the most important scientific research centers of Europe.

When he returned to Portugal at the end of 1800, he was a famous European scientist, and between 1801 and 1807 he accumulated responsibility after responsibility in Portugal. Even though Portugal is a small country, it would be hard for anyone to be a professor at Coimbra University, a Superintendent of Mines and Metals, an administrator of the coal mines and foundry, a director of the Royal Laboratory, responsible for the mint and forests of the Portuguese empire, a judge at Casa do Pôrto, and a Superintendent of Public Works in Coimbra, all at the same time.

When the Portuguese Royal family went to Brazil, José Bonifácio was asked to go with them. He decided to stay in Portugal because he knew that they would need his expertise in metallurgy and chemistry in the war effort against the French forces.

José Bonifácio requested permission first from queen Maria l and later from her son King Dom João VI a number of times between 1810 and 1818 to return to Brazil, but he was too valuable in Portugal. King Dom João VI gave authorization for his return only on October 29, 1818.

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva arrived in Brazil before the end of 1819 after being away for thirty-six years, of which he lived at least twenty-five years in Portugal.

When he arrived in Brazil in early November 1819, he was a respected and well-known scientist in the top scientific research centers of Europe of his day. He was fifty-six years old, which was considered old for that time. He came back to Brazil to retire and to enjoy his remaining days doing scientific research and writing, hardly knowing that the biggest accomplishments of his life and what would immortalize him in world history were still ahead of him.

José Bonifácio forms a provisory government in Säo Paulo

On April 23, 1821, before the King had left Brazil, when the people were meeting in São Paulo they decided to have elections and form a provisory government in São Paulo. They chose José Bonifácio to be the speaker. José Bonifácio told them that it was an honor for him to preside over the elections of the provisory government. He told them that for the happiness of his motherland he would make any sacrifice, and he would even spill the last drop of his blood.

When José Bonifácio participated in the provisory government of Säo Paulo, he prepared a document that was signed by the members of the provisory government on October 9, 1821 called "Lembranças e Apontamentos". This document might be the most important document in the history of reforms in Brazil. The document provided a complete master plan for the new nation and covered in detail all the necessary building blocks of social, political and economic life.

In a letter dated July17, 1821 from the Prince Dom Pedro to his father the King, he mentioned the elections in Säo Paulo, and he told his father they owed to José Bonifácio the fact that they had tranquility in the province of Säo Paulo.

King João Vl Return’s to Portugal

On April 26, 1821 King João Vl, the Royal family, and most of the Portuguese Court left Brazil to return to Portugal, but the King left his oldest son Prince Dom Pedro as the Regent in Brazil. The Prince was only 22 years old and lacked any formal education. He always disliked studying, and since he arrived in Brazil in 1808, he spent most of his time riding horses and playing with his bulls.

In a decree of October 1, 1821 the Portuguese Cortes (Portuguese Assembly or Parliament) requested the immediate return of the Prince to Portugal, and they ordered the Captaincies (provinces or states) to report directly to Lisbon instead of Rio de Janeiro.

On December 9, 1821 an order from the Portuguese Cortes was received in Rio de Janeiro to elect a government junta and to accelerate the return of the Prince to Portugal.

The Prince wrote back to his father on the same day saying; “as soon they elect the new junta I will turn over the government and will return immediately to Portugal as per your decree. I will take even the Fragata União, because from this day on I don’t want to have any influence in the Brazilian affairs.”

The Captaincy of Pará and Maranhão in the north of Brazil answered directly to Lisbon and not to Rio de Janeiro. After the radical changes made by the Portuguese Cortes, cutting completely Dom Pedro’s authority, Brazil was without an effective central government. Not the Regent, or a new junta, or anyone had real authority in Brazil.

When the order of the Portuguese Cortes arrived saying that Bahia, Pará, Maranhão, Pernambuco, and Minas Gerais should communicate directly with Lisbon, Dom Pedro wrote to his father saying that he was happy to be the governor of only Rio de Janeiro.

Prince Dom Pedro’s “FICO”

José Bonifácio did not waste any time when he was elected to the provisory government of Säo Paulo. He sent people from Säo Paulo to agitate the people in Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás, and Mato Grosso. He found out that the people from these provinces were also loyal Brazilians.

On December 24, 1821 José Bonifácio wrote a very nasty and violent letter to Prince Dom Pedro describing his thoughts regarding the actions taken by the Portuguese Cortes. He listed the Cortes’ actions item by item and told Dom Pedro “you stay on our side, or do not doubt for a second we will get the arms to fight for our independence from Portugal.” He also wrote: ”If you accept the Cortes decrees of September 29, 1821, you will lose not only your dignity as a man, but also as a Prince. You will turn yourself into a slave of the Cortes, and you will be responsible under heaven for the river of blood which will run in Brazil.”

The letter was delivered to Prince Dom Pedro in Rio de Janeiro on January 1, 1822 at 8:00 PM. The letter made Dom Pedro very happy, because that was the first sign that he was wanted in Brazil, and the possibility that if he stayed in Brazil he might be their new king. Dom Pedro called a trusted friend and gave him a copy of this letter from José Bonifácio. He asked this friend to show the letter around to all trusted Brazilian patriots. It was a mission well done.

José Bonifácio sent a letter to the government in Minas Gerais asking them to join Säo Paulo in the coming fight for independence. They received the letter on January 8, 1822 and on the same day they sent the answer that they would stand by José Bonifácio when the fighting began.

Prince Dom Pedro wrote to his father to inform him that Säo Paulo had rejected all orders from the Cortes and that they had Minas Gerais on their side. He also wrote “José Bonifácio is writing to all the provinces. What I am supposed to do? The opinion is all against the Cortes everywhere.”

Pressed to stay in Brazil by José Bonifácio, on January 9, 1822 Prince Dom Pedro declared: “Fico” – “I Will Remain.” José Bonifácio arrived in Rio de Janeiro on January 17, 1822 and on the same day Dom Pedro asked him to be his Prime Minister. Never before had there been a Brazilian Minister, José Bonifácio was the first Brazilian to rise to the position of Minister.

José Bonifácio created the situation that ended with the “FICO.” Before the “FICO” Prince Dom Pedro always had good relations with the Andrada family, and he had great admiration and respect for José Bonifácio.

Dona Leopoldina, wife of Prince Dom Pedro also admired José Bonifácio and she was his very good friend. Dona Leopoldina was Archduchess Leopoldina Josepha Carolina of Hapsburg, daughter of the Austrian Emperor, sister of Marie Louise Bonapart, and niece of Marie Antoinette. She was kind hearted, intelligent and the Brazilians loved her.

I also want to mention that there was a family ancestry between Prince Dom Pedro and José Bonifácio, since both of them were descendants of the 7th Duke of Bragança, they also had other ancestors in common. Here is some information about their common family background:

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva's Noble Ancestry

José Bonifácio's great-grandfather also was a great-grandson of Dom João III (1521-1557), a Portuguese king from the Aviz dynasty. Dom João III ruled Portugal at the height of Portuguese power.

Prince Dom Pedro’s Noble Ancestry.

Prince Dom Pedro was a son of King Dom João Vl of Portugal, and they were descendants of the 8th Duke of Bragança who became in 1640, Dom João IV - King of Portugal. They belonged to the: Bragança Dynasty.

Note: The sources for the above information is:

Most of the above information regarding José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva including the proper footnotes can be found in much more detail in the book: "José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva - The Greatest Man in Brazilian History" by Ricardo C. Amaral - Copyright © 1999.

brazilamaral@yahoo.com

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This article was also published by “The Brasilians” newspaper, and by Brazzil magazine.

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The Andrada Doctrine Part 2

January 1, 2005

“The Andrada Doctrine – Part II”

By: Ricardo C. Amaral

On April 22, 2000 Brazil commemorated its 500th anniversary as a country, but September 7, is a very special date for the Brazilian people as well, it is the date that they commemorate the “Independence Day” of Brazil. September 7, 2022, which is around the corner, is the date when Brazilians will commemorate the 200^th year of the independence of Brazil.

I was happy to see on the September 15, 2004 issue of the Financial Times of London, the feature article was about Brazil – “Selling Brazil: the eternal country of the future comes of age on the global stage.” By Raymond Colitt and Richard Lapper.

The article gives a glowing description of today’s Brazilian economy. It seems to me that Brazil is finding that future that has eluded it for so long. Finally, the future is looking great for Brazil, and the Brazilian people.

Today, most Brazilians don’t appreciate it, but in the past Brazil had its historical moments of leadership in the Americas. Brazil was the original country to become the leader of the Americas in the early 1800’s. Here is some historical information regarding the Brazilian leadership in the Americas.

Prince Dom Pedro’s greatest accomplishment

On April 26, 1821, when King João Vl left Pedro his son as the Prince Regent of Brazil, the Prince was only 22 years old and lacked any formal education. He always disliked studying, and since he arrived in Brazil in 1808, he spent most of his time riding horses and playing with his bulls.

José Bonifácio as Prime Minister - January 17, 1822

José Bonifácio was aware of the disintegration of the Spanish empire in the Americas starting with the independence of Paraguay in 1811. Spanish America disintegrated into eight separate and independent countries during the period 1810 to 1830.

Spanish America broke up into various republics and their year of independence was as follows: Paraguay (1811), Argentina (1816), Chile (1818), Colombia (1819), Ecuador (1822), Peru (1824), Bolivia (1825), and Venezuela (1830). The independence of these countries from Spain was accomplished with a twenty-year civil war in that region of South America and split Spanish America into eight independent republics. Uruguay got its independence in 1828 from Brazil.

Emperor Dom Pedro I lost the Cisplatine Province — the country called "Uruguay" today, in a disastrous war with Argentina in 1828. If Emperor Dom Pedro I had kept José Bonifácio as his Prime Minister in the late 1820's, instead of sending him into exile, most likely the country Uruguay still would be part of Brazil today.

“The Andrada Doctrine”

José Bonifácio’s decisions projected a firm, decisive and powerful image of his administration also in his foreign policy. In his diplomatic letter to the American Consul Mr. P. Sartoris in Rio de Janeiro in which he appointed a diplomat to represent Brazil in the United States, José Bonifácio wrote:

“Dear Sir: Brazil is a nation and will take its place as such, without expecting or requesting its recognition by the other world powers. We will send them representatives of our nation. Those nations who receive and deal with them in that capacity will continue to be allowed to use our ports and their commerce will receive favorable status. The nations that refuse our diplomats will be excluded from our ports and commerce. This is our frank and firm politics.”

He also sent a similar letter to the other representatives of the major European powers, including a letter to Chamberlain the English representative in Brazil.

José Bonifácio also formulated international foreign policy for the hemisphere with the tendency to protect other American nations that had aspirations of political emancipation. In his instructions to the Brazilian diplomat representing Brazil in Buenos Aires, José Bonifácio in his diplomatic correspondence dated May 30, 1822 wrote: “After you have skillfully persuaded that the interests of this Kingdom are the same as that of the other States of this hemisphere, and of the part that they will play in our destinies, you will promise them from our country the solemn recognition of the political independence of these governments and you will lay out the incalculable utilities which can result from us forming together a Confederation in a form of a treaty with Brazil, for defensive and offensive purposes, to go together with the other governments of the Spanish America against the extraordinary European manipulations."

As per instructions from José Bonifácio, the Brazilian diplomat representing Brazil in Buenos Aires, also got in contact with the other South American governments regarding this foreign policy treaty. The “Andrada Doctrine” was the original document that laid out the foreign policy structure for the Americas. The “Andrada Doctrine” precedes by 18 months, and it is more precise and more courageous than the “Monroe Doctrine” laid out by the United States president in his message to Congress in December 2, 1823.

There is a certain resemblance between both doctrines, but we have to recognize and give credit to José Bonifácio for being the first to expose his thoughts and making a policy in that regard for the entire hemisphere. José Bonifácio preceded the American President James Monroe in formulating foreign policy for the American hemisphere by more than one and a half years.

“The Monroe Doctrine”

I have seen a number of times over the year’s people quoting the “Monroe Doctrine” in written articles in major US newspapers and magazines, and also on television programs.

The American history books, written from an American history perspective, usually mention the Monroe Doctrine as an important American contribution to setting up foreign policy for the Americas. Usually, they are trying to imply that the Monroe administration was the first administration of any country in the Americas to establish foreign policy for the Americas not allowing any new European colonies in the Americas, and European powers were not to interfere in the affairs of the countries of the American hemisphere.

President James Monroe in his seventh annual address to the U.S. Congress on Dec. 2, 1823, made a statement that eventually became one of the foundations of US policy in Latin America. Monroe’s statement initially remained only a declaration of policy; its increasing use and popularity elevated it to a principle, slowly becoming in the mid-1840’s what we call today the Monroe Doctrine.

Responding to Russian territorial claims along the northern Pacific coast, and concerned that European nations would attempt to seize recently independent Latin American countries, President James Monroe announced a new national policy. No new colonies would be allowed in the Americas, and European powers were not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. Here is a list of some key points of that document:

“The American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers….

…declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.

Our policy in regard to Europe… remains the same, which is, not to interfere in the internal concerns of any of its powers…”

In his pronouncements, Monroe asserted that European powers could no longer colonize the American continents and that they should not interfere with the newly independent Spanish American republics. He specifically warned Europeans against attempting to impose monarchy on independent American nations but added that the US would not interfere in existing European colonies or in Europe itself.

He rejected the European political system of monarchy, believing that no American nation would adopt it and that its presence anywhere in the western hemisphere endangered the peace and safety of the young United States.

Despite the boldness of his assertions, Monroe provided no means to ensure the enforcement of his ideas, and as far as the US was concerned, the Monroe Doctrine meant little until the 1840s, when President James Polk used it to justify US expansion. In 1845 he invoked the doctrine against British threats in California and Oregon, as well as against French and British efforts to prevent the US annexation of Texas.

As a component of foreign policy, the Monroe Doctrine has had considerable effect and has had strong support in the US, in part because it promoted US interests. The doctrine has served other American nations too, particularly because it asserts their right to independence. Because the doctrine as originally formulated made no clear distinction between the interests of the US and those of its neighbors, however, the US has used it to justify intervention in the internal affairs of other American nations. Given growing US anxiety about the unstable politics of Latin American countries, intervention in a number of occasions has been especially prevalent and controversial in the last 100 years.

Note: The sources for the above information are:

Most of the information regarding President James Monroe and The Monroe Doctrine were compiled from a number of US history and US government websites.

Most of the above information regarding José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva including the proper footnotes can be found in much more detail in the book: "José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva - The Greatest Man in Brazilian History" by Ricardo C. Amaral - Copyright © 1999

brazilamaral@yahoo.com

*****

This article was also published by “The Brasilians” newspaper, and by Brazzil magazine.

Brazil and the Americas.

About Me

Monday, January 31, 2005

The Brazilian Ruling Class

“The Brazilian Ruling Class”

Without José Bonifácio's de Andrada e Silva influence on Brazilian history, we would have instead four or five independent countries in South America where Brazil is located. Without José Bonifácio, Brazil in its current form would simply not exist.

By: Ricardo C. Amaral

The Greatest Man in Brazilian History.

The Andrada Doctrine Part 1

The Andrada Doctrine Part 2