Dom Pedro I commands an imposing place in Brazilian history by his simple act of declaring Brazil an independent nation and successfully severing the more than 300-year relationship with the mother country, Portugal.
Background
Pedro de Alcântara Francisco António João Carlos Xavier de Paula Miguel Rafael Joaquim José Gonzaga Pascoal Cipriano Serafim was born on 12 October 1798. Although bom in Portugal, he came to Brazil at the age of nine when his father King Joño VI and his mother, Queen Carlota Joaquina, fled to Brazil in 1808 to escape the invading armies of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Career
In 1821 King Joâo VI reluctantly returned to Portugal but left his 23-year-old son, Pedro, as regent.
When the Portuguese Parliament ordered Dom Pedro to return to Portugal tor further education, he declared, “Tell the people that I will stay. The phrase “I will stay” (“fico”) became famous as the first step in Brazil's independence.
Pedro reorganized his cabinet to include politicians reflecting Brazilian nationalist sentiment most notably Brazilian-bom José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silvo, from Sâo Paulo. As pressure mounted from Portugal, and after much discussion with members of his cabinet and enthusiastic street demonstrations, Dom Pedro declared Brazil an independent nation on September 7, 1822, and took the title Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil. In approximately 15 months, with relatively little bloodshed, independence was assured.
Pedro I, governed for the next nine years.
One of his last acts as emperor was to name his five-year-old son. Brazilian- born Pedro de Alcántara as prince regent and heir to the throne. He also ordered that his former Minister of State José Bonifácio be named as tutor to his young son.
Pedro returned to Portugal where he sought to regain control of that country by naming his daughter Maria I queen of Portugal in 1834.