The Serra Viaduct, São Paulo’s Railway, Brazil (Harper’s Weekly, Vol. 12, nº 623, 1868). Getúlio Vargas e Junta Governativa (Arquivo Cordeiro de Farias, CPDOC, FGV) World War I signaled a change in international power balances worldwide, and this affected Brazil. Before the war, England was Brazil’s most influential foreign power, with U.K. nationals holding most … Week 5 – World War I and the Great Depression

Revolta da Armada, Eduardo Martino, 1893 (L’Univers illustré, Levy (Paris), nº 2.029, 10 February 1894). Brazil’s young republic didn’t have a smooth beginning. Fears of internal turmoil early on motivated the United States’ choice to delay its official recognition of the new republic. Because Dom Pedro II was well regarded by American thinkers and politicians, … Week 4 – The New Republic and the Beginning of Anglo-U.S. Disputes in Brazil

(Source) At the end of the U.S. Civil War, the South was ravaged. The conflict had destroyed local communities and the economy. Faced with this scenario, many white Southerners contemplated emigrating to a new place, where they could rebuild their lives. Brazil seemed like an attractive option, offering amenable climate, arable lands, and a friendly … Week 3 – Confederados, and Growing U.S. Influences in Brazil

The United States Civil War had far-reaching impacts in Brazil. The “peculiar institution” of slavery was a until then something the two countries had in common. It also provided Brazilian thinkers and planters with an added layer of legitimacy. But with slavery abolished in the United States, what did that mean for Brazil and Cuba … Week 2 – Brazilian Slave Rebellions, Abolitionists, and the U.S. Civil War

Jean-Baptiste Debret, Coronation of D. Pedro I Trumbull, Declaration of Independence When Brazil declared its independence from Portugal on September 7th, 1822, many anxieties surrounded the new nation. In dealing with the creation of the new country, many Brazilian thinkers and statesmen looked to the United States as an example and a valuable ally. The … Week 1 – The Monroe Doctrine and the U.S. Recognition of Independent Brazil

Eisenhower during his visit to São Paulo, 1960 (Source) TIME cover, Feb. 13th 1956 (TIME) After Brazil’s collaboration during World War II, leaders expected the United States to respond with increased support for the South American nation’s developmental projects, continuing what Brazilian officials saw as a “special relationship”. However, expectations were quickly disappointed. As Americans … Week 7 – Vargas, Eisenhower, Kubitschek, and the Cold War