History

 

People started to come to the land of Brazil about a thousand years ago and grew crops. The most significant eras of Brazil’s history can be treated as the colonial era from 1500 to 1821 and the post independence era from 1822 to present. Apart from Indians who were the natives of Brazil, Portuguese were the first European settlers came into the land of Brazil during 1500.

Pedro Alvarez Cabral was planning an expedition from Portugal to India instead landed in South America’s land which is now known as Southeast Brazil. They first named Brazil as “Terra da Vera Cruz” which means “Land of the True Cross”. Later, the Portuguese started to name the land Brazil permanently. A colony was built in Brazil from Portugal. Initially there was no gold or riches in that area and it didn’t have any significant cities. Brazilwood made the land rich. Shiploads of brazilwood were sent by colonists to Portugal. Along Brazil’s coastal areas, Portuguese settlements have spread. Many people from Africa have been either traded or captured from Portugal and send to Brazil as slaves. During this time Portuguese farmers wanted local Indians who lived in Brazil to be enslaved and work with Africans on sugar plantations. Since the sugar plantations grew strong, the economy grew as a result.

A leader named Tiradentes was a dentist and wanted independence in Brazil. On April 21st, 1792, he was hanged and killed. The day he died became a special day known as Tiradentes day at when people remember his freedom fighting.

In 1807, Napoleon invaded Portugal and the king Regent shipped himself to Brazil and established the Portuguese kingdom. Later, 1815 he agreed the city as the Portuguese empire’s capital. In 1821 Dom Jao returned to Lisbon and left his son, Dom Pedro I in charge of the country.

Dom Pedro I declared Brazil’s independence from Portugal in 1822 and subsequently handed over to his son Dom Pedro II. 2 years later, a new constitution was adopted. Pedro II made Brazil newer in many ways like improving schools and railroads. In November 1889 a military revolt under the leadership of General Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca forced the Pedro II out and Barzail became a republic. A year before it became a republic, slavery in Brazil stopped.

Later in the 20^thcentury, Brazil went through several wars including the two world wars and most of the time spent under military or dictatorship rule until late 1980s, with a sparse periods of democratic rule. In 1960, Brazil’s new capital is Brasilia because it’s the country’s center on the highlands of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro used to be the capital of Brazil. As the economic conditions improved, people of Brazil longed for democracy again and in 1989 elected a new president with the military consent in stages. As the time progressed the poverty, non equality, and suffering of inflation of Brazil sooner proceeded to a socialist president election. During 1994, Brazil’s President Itamar Franco came up with the currency called real.

Different from most of the American colonies, the Portuguese settlers frequently intermarried with both the Indians and the African slaves, and there were also mixed marriages between the Africans and Indians. As a result, Brazil's population, culture and belief systems is intermingled to an extent that is not found any where else in the world. Most Brazilians possess some combination of European, African, American, Indian, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultural legacies, traits and beliefs that are represents the feature current Brazilian diverse society.

• Brazil flag- blue globe which has words Ordem e Progresso which means Order and Progress on a yellow diamond on shade of green
• It was Brazil's 500th anniversary in 2000 and Brazil was called Other 500 which ameliorates discussion about Brazil's diversity.
• September 7th- Independence Day
• November 15th- Proclamation of Republic Day