How Did Portuguese Exploration Change The Political And Social History Of Brazil

900 Words4 Pages

How did Portuguese exploration change the political and social history of Brazil?

There is a vast history between Brazil and Portugal, including the politics, economics, exploitation, and discovery that throughout time, continues to change and develop. 800 metric tons of gold, the “rising” point in Portugal's economy, enslavement, correlations with other explorers, control, and betrayal all played a role in this major change in development and power but there is still much more depth and explanations that need to be provided.

In 1498, Vasco Da Gama went on his eccentric journey that discovered many new things for the exploration world. He was under the order of King Manuel I (King of Portugal) who two years later in 1500 sent another explorer …show more content…

It was believed that Cabral had little to no sailing experience but was chosen for this because of his loyalty to the crown as a member of the King’s Council. On this voyage there was no map drawn or given to him, only the words of Da Gama who had been on this exact route before: From the European coast of the Atlantic Ocean to Asia's coast of the Indian Ocean passing by the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas at the southern edge of Africa. The resources Cabral used on his journey contained caravels, edibles, multitude, and navigation technology such as a compass, an astrolabe, and the quadrant. With these instructions and resources given to Cabral, he set sail with a fleet of 13 vessels and 1,200 men. On his journey, Cabral …show more content…

Before that, in order to maintain dominance, they discouraged education and intellectual development among the Brazilian population. When Napoleon fell, Dom Joao VI took over continuing Napoleon's view of a truer economy and set building projects into motion. He created banks and opened trade ports to other nations (Especially England) which drastically improved the economy. Dom Joao’s son Pedro I took over shortly and in on September 7th of 1822 he, along with other Brazilian leaders, attempted to declare Brazil's independence from the Portuguese empire. This caused a war to ensue that lasted for 2 years, so Brazil could only truly be recognized for its independence in 1825. In 1840, with Pedro still in control, he gave his son Pedro II the crown. In 1888, Pedro II's daughter, Princess Isabel ended slavery. This was a huge change in Brazil's politics and law. And in 1889, Brazil's first republican government was founded, and this republic lasted for 75 years. From 1964 to 1985, Brazil's military power overthrew the crown, creating a democracy. For the benefit of Brazil's political advancement, in 1988, Brazil had its first free presidential election. These landmarks had huge impacts on how Brazil's economy and government look