Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library’s Archive of Early American Images.
In 1807, the Portuguese Court fled Napoleonic Europe and arrived in Brazil in 1808. This marked a new era for Brazil, beginning its movement toward independence from Portugal. The arrival of the Portuguese crown brought the colony new aspirations and new ways of life with greater emphases on enlightenment ideals and culture. In 1822, Pedro I declared Brazilian independence, distinguishing him as a forever emblematic figure in Brazilian history and paving the way for the lengthy rule of his son Pedro II. During the early years of Brazil’s independence, the monarchs grappled in particular with the problem of slavery and engaged in several skirmishes with their neighbors, most notably in the Paraguayan War.