Dom Pedro I, the first monarch of the Empire of Brazil, was born in Lisbon in 1798 as the fourth child of King Dom João VI and Queen Carlota Joaquina. When French troops invaded Portugal, the royal family fled to Brazil in 1808. Dom Pedro I became the prince regent of Brazil and faced challenges, including threats from revolutionaries and insubordinate Portuguese troops. With the Liberal Revolution of Porto in 1820, Dom João VI returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving Dom Pedro as the regent of Brazil. Faced with Portugal’s attempt to revoke Brazil’s political autonomy, Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence on September 7, 1822. He died in Lisbon in 1834.
Dom Pedro I was acclaimed Emperor of Brazil on October 12 and successfully faced the forces loyal to Portugal, remaining in power until April 7, 1831. At that point, he abdicated in favor of his son, Dom Pedro II, due to the difficulties of governing both Brazil and Portugal simultaneously. After returning to Europe, Dom Pedro I became involved in a war on the Iberian Peninsula between liberals and absolutists. He died of tuberculosis on September 24, 1834, just a few months after the liberals’ victory. His death occurred in the Queluz Palace, in the same room and on the same bed where he was born 35 years earlier.
Matheus Araújo
Matheus Araújo is the founder and editor of Brazilian History. Born in Rio de Janeiro and holding a degree in Advertising and Marketing, his passion for history led him to enroll at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, where he is currently pursuing a degree in History Education.
