History of Brazil: interesting facts and key events. Brief history of brazil

Plan
Introduction
1 Period before the discovery of America by Europeans
1.1 Settlement of the territory
1.2 Society at the time of the arrival of Europeans

2 Colonial period
2.1 Discovery by the Portuguese (1500-1530)
2.2 Union of Spain and Portugal and territorial expansion (1580-1690)
2.3 Discovery of gold (1690-1800)
2.3.1 The myth of the lost city

3 Brazilian kingdom and empire
3.1 Transition to independence
3.2 Pedro I (1822-1831)
3.3 Pedro II (1831-1889)
3.4 Abolition of slavery and the end of the Empire (1888)

4 Republic period
4.1 Federation and presidential system
4.1.1 World War I

4.2 Revolution of 1930 and "Estado Novo"
4.3 Power and change
4.4 Modern Brazil
4.5 Revolution of 1964
4.6 The period of democratization of society (1985-1989)
4.7 Collor government and impeachment process (1989-1992)
4.8 Presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1994-2003)

Bibliography
History of Brazil

Introduction

1. The period before the discovery of America by Europeans

Main article: Brazil before European discovery

1.1. Territory settlement

The origin of the American Indians is still a matter of debate among archaeologists. The traditional view, which is based on the migration from Siberia to America at the end of the last Ice Age across the Bering Isthmus, is increasingly being questioned, especially by North American archaeologists.

Late settlement hypothesis. Anthropological and genetic data indicate that the American Indians originate from peoples of North Asia (Siberia) who entered America through the Bering Strait (which did not always exist) in at least three separate waves. The inhabitants of Brazil in 1500 are considered the heirs of the first wave of settlers who crossed the so-called Bering Isthmus at the end of the last ice age, around 9000 BC. e. A wave of migrants reached Brazil around 6000 BC. e., possibly through the northwest of the Amazon basin.

Early settlement hypothesis. The traditional view above has recently been challenged following new data. One of the finds is the remains of a human-like creature, the “Lagoa Santa man”, which are older, from 10 to 20 thousand years, and which, most importantly, do not match the features of immigrants from Asia, but are more similar to the natives of Africa and Australia. Another proof of the hypothesis is the archaeological finds in the Serra di Captiva, where cave drawings, whose age is estimated up to 50 thousand years. However, even in this hypothesis, the migration from Asia took place, and the modern Indians are the result of a mixture of two waves of migration. Only after 6000 BC. BC, already after the Asian wave of migration, the population became significant, almost all the archaeological evidence that has come down to us belongs to this period.

1.2. Society at the time of the arrival of Europeans

By the time the Europeans arrived, the Brazilian Indian peoples were using bone and planed stone tools and weapons similar to those found in much of the Americas at the time. Ceramics appeared very early in Brazil. Brazilian potters used sophisticated materials to make beautiful utilitarian and ceremonial vessels with carved and painted ornaments, but they did not know the potter's wheel and glass-like glaze.

Probably the first Indian peoples of Brazil subsisted on hunting, fishing and fruit gathering. In some places they developed agricultural technology for crops such as corn and cassava, but animal husbandry was unknown to them.

2. Colonial period

Main article: Colonial Brazil

Discovery by the Portuguese (1500-1530)

The Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 defined the borders of possessions between Spain and Portugal along meridian 370 to the west of the Cape Verde Islands, territories to the east of it were ceded to Portugal, and lands to the west - to Spain. This conditional line crossed Latin America in the east and became the first border of the still undiscovered Brazil. Brazil was discovered on April 22, 1500 by Pedro Alvares Cabral on his way around Africa and named the island of Santa Cruz. Conscious of the significance of his discovery, Cabral sent one of the captains, Gaspard Lemos, to Lisbon with a message to the king, which was composed by his secretary of Peru, Vas de Caminha. A few months later, the king sent three caravels to Santa Cruz under the command of Admiral Cuelho.

But the interests of Portugal were in the other direction - in Asia and Africa, therefore, for 30 years, no systematic actions were taken to organize a colony in this territory. In 1530, the first settlers began to arrive from Portugal, who brought with them cattle, seedlings and seeds in order to establish colonies here. Fortified settlements were founded in the northeast of the country, the first of which was Sao Vicente, which is located in the coastal part of the modern state of Sao Paulo, founded in 1532, and the capital of the Salvador colony in the state of Bahia, founded in 1549. On the territory of Brazil, 14 hereditary fiefs were created - captaincies, and some of them are larger in size than Portugal itself. The owners of the captaincies, the so-called donatarios, that is, those who "accept the gift", were responsible for their safety and development. The captaincy system has significantly influenced the borders and politics of modern Brazil.

An important contribution to the development and progress of the colonies was made by the Jesuits, who took up the protection and conversion of the Indians to Christianity, as well as significant work to raise the moral level of the colonists. The Indians, converted to Christianity, settled in the settlements organized by the Jesuits "Aldei" ( aldeias), which were similar in structure to the missions in Spanish America, or the Jesuit reductions.

The wet and fertile coast of the state of Pernambuco was suitable for the cultivation of sugar cane. In addition, this location made it a convenient port for ships that sailed from Portugal to the African west and east. Sugarcane and the machinery for its cultivation were brought to Brazil from the island of Madeira. Triangular trade soon flourished. It was based on work on sugarcane plantations by Negro slaves brought from West Africa. Sugar was supplied to the European market, the growing needs of which could no longer be met from traditional sources.

Union of Spain and Portugal and territorial expansion (1580-1690)

From 1580 to 1640 the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal were united by the Spanish crown. During this period, thanks to the unification of the two countries, all of South America became part of the Spanish possessions. Brazil began to be raided by enemies of the Spanish crown, in particular by the Netherlands, which controlled a significant part of northern Brazil over a quarter of a century.

Paradoxically, the sixty-year union of Portugal and Spain brought unexpected advantages to Portugal's overseas colony. Taking advantage of the lack of borders, the Portuguese and Brazilians carried out campaigns inland. The first on their way was the captaincy of Sao Vicente, and starting from this reference point in Sao Paulo, the pioneers moved the border from the coast deep into the continent. Expeditions (port. bandeiras) for Indian slaves, they paved the way through the forests, overcame mountain ranges, moving forward all the time. Expeditioners or bandeirants (port. bandeirantes) became famous for capturing Indians in the Jesuit missions, and those who were walking free, and returning home with them. Thanks to the bandeirantes, the borders of the future independent Brazil expanded.

In 1640, the Portuguese, led by King John IV, returned Portugal's independence from Spain and refused to leave the occupied and colonized territories to the west of the original line established by the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Discovery of gold (1690-1800)

The most important discovery made during these expeditions was gold. The pursuit of gold included not only the inhabitants of the coastal areas, but also new batches of immigrants who arrived from Portugal. The gold rush was of great importance for the Brazilian economy, led to a significant increase in the population of the southern regions of Brazil (the provinces of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo) and the transfer of the capital to Rio de Janeiro, closer to the new economic center. The money from the sale of gold, however, did not linger in Brazil, flowing directly to Portugal, and the economic development of Brazil itself was hampered by the monopoly of Portuguese and English manufactured goods.

England remained Portugal's main trading partner during this phase. A number of agreements were signed between the two governments (1642, 1654, 1661, 1703, 1810, 1826), always more beneficial for the English side. By monopolizing all trade with Brazil, Portugal kept a significant portion of the profits received from the colony, which led to growing discontent among the colonists. Beginning with the Dutch and French invasion of the northern east at the beginning of the 17th century, the national consciousness of the Brazilians constantly grew and grew stronger in the fight against the invaders.

The myth of the lost city

In 1754, a lost dead city in the unexplored regions of Brazil was described (Manuscript 512) by the Portuguese bandeirantes, who went in search of gold mines. Modern Brazilian scientists talk about " the biggest myth of brazilian archeology". The description of the ruins of the dead city in Manuscript 512, left by an unknown author, repeatedly inspired researchers (in particular Percy Fawcett in 1925) to search for it.

3. Brazilian kingdom and empire

Main article: Empire of Brazil

3.1. Transition to independence

In 1808, when Napoleon's army began the war against Portugal, it was decided to move the king and his court to Rio de Janeiro, where they remained until 1821. The British government took a direct part in this move. It took advantage of the plight of Portugal and, with the intention of obtaining even greater privileges in trade, gave the ships necessary to move the royal family.

There is an opinion that the Europeans discovered Brazil by accident, almost by mistake. “Once upon a time there was such a nobleman in the 15th century - Pedro Alvaris Cabral. He was sent, they say, by the Portuguese king to India to establish trade relations, but the trouble is: a hitch happened on the way! Whether the wind has changed, or the current has carried the ships aside, who knows ... Just before going around Africa, they landed on an unfamiliar land. Cabral went down to the shore, looking - the island is not an island, the mainland is not the mainland, you need to explore. True, he didn’t find anything of value - spices or golden sand, and therefore after a week or so he ordered to raise the sails again, but at first he declared this land to be Portuguese property and put a tall cross at the landing site so that different competitors and, first of all , the Spaniards, knew: do not open your mouth at someone else's loaf! Sailed further. But the further journey was unsuccessful. At the Cape of Good Hope, they got into a storm, several ships sank, and arrived in India - the local population rebelled against the Europeans, so ferociously that they had to fight. In general, Cabral returned to Portugal a year later and reported to the king: it was not possible to agree on trade with the Indians in an amicable way, it would be necessary to equip a new expedition, but this time there were more soldiers. His Majesty was angry and decided to remove Cabral from business for a long time, and to appoint a stronger commander in his place. No sooner said than done! And so the navigator lived out his life far from the court, unjustly offended. Of course, the king did not know that the Portuguese could not see the trade monopoly in India, like their own ears, but the land that Cabral accidentally discovered along the way would provide them with fabulous incomes in the future. It was Brazil, after all.

This kind of traditional version is often found in history books and popular science literature. Does it correspond to reality? Are the authors right who attribute a significant role in the discovery of Brazil to winds and currents, and even, perhaps, to a factor of chance, and was Manuel I right, who prematurely sent Cabral to an honorable retirement? To answer these questions, let's look at the facts.

The purpose of the expedition was to settle in India, crush possible resistance, establish Portuguese influence and establish strong trade relations by peaceful means if possible. The expedition included 13 ships, both military and commercial, and about 1,500 people on board. Among the participants of the expedition were those who participated in previous expeditions. Pilots were already well-known people such as Bartolomeu Dias - the first European to circumnavigate Africa from the South (1487-1488), Nicolau Coelho - a member of the first expedition to India, Duarti Pasheku Pireira, who became the chronicler of the expedition and many others. A staff was recruited to establish trade relations with the Indian principalities: Agent Irish Correia, secretary of the future trading post in Calcutta Peru Vas de Caminha, as well as translator Moor El Masud (Monsaidi), who served with Vasco da Gama, bachelor Juanish - scientist and physician of the expedition and eight Franciscan monks, led by Enrique de Coimbre, appointed vicar in Calcutta, and several priests. Copper, cinnabar, velvet, woolen fabrics and other goods were carried in the holds for trade; supplies were taken for 1.5 years of navigation. March 9, 1500 in the port there was a solemn procession and mass of Bishop Don Diogo de Ortiz. Manuel I personally handed over the banner of the expedition, the banner of the Order of Christ, to Cabral, which did honor to the navigator. After sailing on March 9, 1500, the ships under the command of Cabral on March 14 passed Canary Islands, and on March 22 they reached the Cape Verde Islands. On the night of March 22-23, the Vasco de Ataide ship went missing.

Cabral's ships then, following the instructions of Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias, swerved southwest to bypass the Gulf of Guinea and sail from the Cape Verde Islands due South, to the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope. Following this course, Cabral's ships crossed three sea ​​currents: the Northern Equatorial Current, which referred them to the West, the Equatorial Countercurrent, then the Southern Equatorial Current (again to the West), and, finally, they were carried away by the Brazilian Current to the south-west Magidovich IP, Magidovich V.I. Essays on history geographical discoveries. T.2. M.1982. S. 53 .. This point of view confirms the “accidental discovery” of the Brazilian land by Cabral, as well as the one that, on the basis of the course of Vasco da Gama, sailors of the subsequent period, following to India, sought to avoid the Guinean coast, where long calms dominated, it was very hot, it was raining Englishman Thomas Stephen (sailing to India in 1579) - wrote about the difficulties of navigation near the Guinean coast, and the Dutchman Linskoten in 1583. (who spent two months in the Gulf of Guinea) also left information about the features of this area. mainland lying west of Trinidad. But it was far enough from the place where the sailors of Cabral landed on April 23, 1500. And as for the expeditions of Pinson and Lepe, who explored eastern shores South America a few months before Cabral, then even rumors about this could not reach Portugal, since Pinzon returned to Spain only at the end of September 1500, and Lepe returned to Spain in July 1500. Part of the territory of South America, surveyed by Pinzon and Lepa, belonged to Treaty of Tordesilla Portugal. . Although there are claims that in Portugal they already knew about the research of Pinson and Lepe before March 9, 1500 Konstantinova N.S. Journey into the past. Navigation error or secret mission? // Latin America, No. 5, M.2000, p.8. . If we take into account the point of view that the Portuguese sailed to the shores of South America before Columbus, then we will come across a lack of convincing evidence for this. It is known that, being in the Portuguese service, Martin Beheim M. Behaim (1459-1507) is a German geographer who created in 1492. 1st geographical globe. did not reflect on the globe any signs of the transatlantic southern continent Ditmar A.B. From Ptolemy to Columbus. M.1989, S.230. . And the fact that he sailed on Portuguese ships in the 90s. 15th century to America is unprovable due to lack of information about it. A little more convincing is the evidence that the satellite of Cabral in 1500. Duarte Pasheco Pireira in 1494 visited some lands across the Atlantic. This statement is based on the work of Duarti Pascheku Pireira, which was written between 1505. and 1508. ("Emerald on the Position of the Earth"). From copies of extant passages we learn about visiting certain transatlantic lands. But this is probably a later insertion by the copyist. There is also the point of view of Yul Oldham (1894) that the Portuguese had discovered Brazil before 1448, when Andrea Bianco produced a map showing a landmass with an unreadable legend. Oldham read it as "a certain island lying 1500 miles to the west" - here, he assumed, we are most likely talking about Brazil, lying 1520 miles west of the islands Cape Verde. There is also an assumption that a certain Jean Cousin traveled to Brazil in 1488. Thus, whether the deviation to the West of the Cabral ships was a planned action or not is still unclear, but one thing remains true, the waters up to the Papal meridian belonged to Portugal, so she could not help but examine them. Perhaps Vasco da Gama, who also deviated west of the course, was looking for some land here, but Cabral was more fortunate. From a letter from Peru Vas de Caminha to King Manuel I, we find that “on the 21st of April, ..., signs suddenly appeared to us” (seaweed - sargassum, sedum and birds), and on April 22 in the evening they saw land. On April 23, part of the expedition members headed for the shore and on the same day they saw the natives for the first time. “They were dark-skinned and completely naked: there was nothing on them to even cover shame. And they held bows and arrows in their hands. On April 24, two natives were brought to the flagship, who were well received by the Portuguese. Then Caminha, seeing them with his own eyes, gave more detailed description Aboriginal people: “Both of them have a pierced lower lip, and a real white bone sticks out of it, palm-long, spindle-thick, and sharp at the end, like an awl. They insert it into the lip from the inside, and the part that is between the lip and the teeth is turned like a chess rook, and, being inserted there, does not disturb them and does not interfere with speaking, eating, or drinking. Their hair is smooth. And the heads are cut from the sides, from the neck up, and above the ears too, but stick out high on the crown of the head. And one of them, under his hair from temple to temple, has a kind of mane of yellow feathers, a finger long, thick and hard, and covers the back of his head and ears. And a feather is glued to the hair with something soft, like wax (but not wax), and the result is a hat - very rounded, very hard, very even, and nothing will be done with it, no matter how much mine is - it will only stand better. Unlike Pinson and Lepa, the sailors of Cabral developed quite friendly relations with the natives; there were no armed skirmishes between them, according to Camigna. The natives even helped the Portuguese cut trees. Previously, "they cut a tree with stones made with a wedge, inserting them into a fork of a stick and tying them tightly, as ours said, who just went to them and saw this."

The Portuguese admired the excellent flora and fauna. These are amazing fruits. great amount parrots. Many in those days called Brazil - "the country of parrots." Caminha argued that they "now have no faith and do not understand anything about it." May 1, 1500 on Friday, a large wooden cross was erected with the coat of arms and motto of the King of Portugal, and the official mass of the monk Enrique de Coimbra was celebrated, which was attended by many natives. On the same day, the ship of Gaspard de Lemoush was sent by Cabral with the news of the discovery of a new land. Lemoush carried with him letters from Caminha, Cabral and other members of the expedition. Captain Cabral named the new land the Island of the True Cross (Vera Cruz). Why Island? It is possible that “after the first two expeditions of Christopher Columbus, the Portuguese consciously sought to secure control over the South Atlantic and find, perhaps further from the African coast, islands that could serve as stages on the sea route to the Indies. Cabral considered Brazil as one of these islands and therefore called it at first the Island of the True Cross. The news did not make much impression on Manuel I, although open ground could serve as a base for stopping and repairing ships on their way to India. Manuel I subsequently notified all the monarchs about Cabral's expedition, renaming Vera Cruz to Santa Cruz, that is, the Holy Cross. On the maps of the early 16th century. this land was called either Terra Brasilis or Santa Cruz do Brasil. . In everyday life, it was called either "country of parrots" or "Brazilian land." This name came from the brazy tree growing here, from which valuable dyes were extracted, which before that came to Europe only from Asia.

May 2, 1500 Cabral and his companions set sail and continued their voyage to India. At the Cape of Good Hope, a storm overtook them and 4 out of 11 ships went to the bottom. Then B. Diash also died. The ship of B. Dias' brother, Diogo Dias, disappeared from Mozambique, who went back to Portugal. Autumn 1500. Cabral after failed attempts to trade with Calcutta established trade relations with the hostile principalities of Cochin and Kannanur. The Portuguese acquired spices, fabrics, incense, porcelain, and medicinal plants here. On the way back, Cabral lost another ship, it ran aground, but people were saved. And in the summer of 1501. Cabral arrived in Lisbon. Despite the loss of 6 ships, the value of the delivered cargo was enormous. Its sale doubled all the expenses for the expedition. However, Cabral lost half of his fleet, and therefore he no longer took part in the voyages by decision of the king. He spent the rest of his life in seclusion on his estate in the province of Baira Bakes.

The land discovered by Cabral actually turned out to be convenient on the way to India, since not only could ships be repaired and supplies replenished here, but it was also possible to successfully pass the Cape of Good Hope from Brazil. Thus, in the end, Cabral's expedition gave Portugal what it was supposed to give: - "take possession of the territories of the Atlantic." An important fact is the construction of the first settlements. If Cabral left two exiles on the shore (as well as two young deserters), then after the next expeditions of Lemoush, Amerigo Vespucci, Gonzal Coelho, fortresses were already founded. Thus, unlike Pinson and Lepa (Spanish navigators), who appeared in these places shortly before the Portuguese, the outcome of the Cabral expedition is significant in that the Portuguese remained here and began, albeit uncertainly, to establish the first small settlements.

Despite the fact that active colonization began 30 years after the expedition of Cabral, the importance of the discovery was already appreciated in the first years - this is a braza and fertile land. So by decree of 1516. Manuel I ordered that axes, hoes and other tools be given to the colonists. A little later, a decree was signed on the need to find a person capable of starting sugar production in Brazil, in connection with which funds will be allocated to him.

If for Portugal the outcome of the expedition is quite obvious, then for the natives of this land the coming of the Europeans turned into a long and painful process of resistance to colonization. Unlike the Spaniards, the Portuguese did not immediately find gold (it was found only at the end of the 17th century), so one of the main values ​​was land that needed to be processed. The aborigines, just, represented easy prey for the bandeirants - slave hunters. Moreover, for the Portuguese, this kind of activity was not something new. Ever since 1442. began to develop trade in slaves from Africa. And in the period from 1450 to 1500. about 150,000 Negroes were captured by the Portuguese on the "dark continent".

Thus, the outcome of Cabral's expedition can be assessed in two ways. On the one hand, there was a collision of two worlds, which made it possible to enrich the flora and fauna of America, Europe and other continents; in the process of integration, a new state, the Brazilian nation, was formed, a new culture was created on this basis. On the other hand, by what means it was carried out. Today, the Indian population of Brazil has only partly preserved its culture and language. Many tribes of the coast were destroyed, and some are cheap labor in agriculture, in the collection of rubber, brazil nuts and other industries Fainberg L.A. Indian population of Brazil. In: Brazil. Economics, politics, culture. M.1965. P.138. . Therefore, speaking about Cabral's expedition, we should not forget not only what the discovery brought to the Portuguese, but also what it turned out to be for the natives.

Both the Portuguese and the natives formed a new nation, in which the Negro element is also strong, but in the 16th century the outcome of the expedition meant another increase in the Portuguese colonial empire, which lost its possessions only in the second half of the 20th century.

On March 9, 1500, a large trade and military expedition left Lisbon for East India on 13 ships (we do not know their type and tonnage) with a crew of about 1,500 people, of which more than 1,000 were "selected and well-armed people." Its goal is to establish trade relations with India by peaceful means if possible, but "... not to stop, despite any resistance, this enterprise." A phrase from a letter from Manuel I to the ruler of Calicut. commander-in-chief of the squadron ("captainmore") Manuel I appointed Pedro Alvaris Cabral, who had not previously shown himself in any way either in the military or in the nautical business. On March 22, the squadron, having lost one ship, moved from San Nicolau - central island Cape Verde Archipelago - due south, crossed the equator, and then deviated to the west and at 17 ° S. sh. approached April 22, 1500 to the coast of Brazil. Meridian about. San Nicolau approximately 24°W d., the meridian of the final point (most likely the Brazilian Cape Corumban) - 39 ° W. Consequently, during the transition, the squadron moved west from the intended, southern course by 15 ° longitude, which at the latitude of Cape Corumban is about 1600 km. On purpose or by accident, voluntarily or unwittingly, did Cabral deviate so far to the west? The captain of one of the ships - Bartolomeu Dias advised him to stay in the southern hemisphere away from the African coast. There is news that Gama, referring to personal experience, suggested that Cabral avoid the Guinean coast and follow from the Cape Verde Islands directly south until you reach the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope. Following this course, Cabral's ships crossed three sea currents: the North Trade Wind, which carried them to the west, the Equatorial Countercurrent, then the South Trade Wind Current (again to the west), and finally they were carried away by the Brazilian Current to the southwest.

“April 21, when we were ... 660–670 leagues from the island of San Nicolau,” a member of the expedition wrote on May 1, 1500 from Porto Seguro (Brazil) to his homeland Peru Vash Caminha- there were signs of the earth, a large amount of long and any other grass ... "A day later they approached the land, which Cabral called the" island of Vera Cruz "(True Cross). Near the coast one could see "a high, round mountain, and to the south - other, lower mountains and a plain covered with large trees." It was Easter day, and Cabral called high mountain Paskual ("Easter", 536 m); it is located west of Cape Corumban, at 17 ° S. sh. San Nicolau lies at 16°37" N. Therefore, the ships, moving due south, had to pass to the latitude of Mount Pascual at 33°30", which is more than 3700 km. According to the countdown of the navigators, according to P. Kaminya, the squadron covered about 4000 km. But then there can be no question that Cabral first went south, to 17 ° S. sh., and then turned sharply to the west, "as if in search of some famous point." With this assumption - and it is made by the defenders of the Portuguese priority - the ships had to travel 3700 km along the meridian and 1600 km along the parallel, and in total 5300 km. Of course, they could be wrong for two or three hundred kilometers, but an incredible mistake for 1300 km. And the conclusion follows from this: there was no sharp turn “almost at a right angle” - the ships followed a southerly course, and the current carried them to the west until land appeared. The discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese on April 22, 1500 was a matter of luck.

True, in Portugal, by the time Cabral's squadron went to sea, they probably already knew about the discovery by Columbus in 1498 of a large land lying west of Trinidad. But it was in the northern hemisphere, more than 3000 km from that point in the southern hemisphere, which the Portuguese approached on April 22, 1500, and its discovery did not affect the course of Cabral's voyage. On the achievements of other Spanish expeditions that discovered in 1499-1500. large sections of the coast of South America, even rumors could not yet reach Portugal. And yet, some Portuguese and Brazilian historians argue that the organizers and leaders of the Cabral expedition knew for sure that the transatlantic South continent existed; before Columbus, Portuguese ships allegedly sailed to him. These historians had only to find suitable "discoverers" of South America, as famous as possible, starting from Martina Beheim, in Portuguese service.

On Behaim's globe of 1492 there is no sign of the transatlantic southern continent. Until this year, it is reliably known that he sailed only in the Eastern Atlantic. But probably from the mid 90's. 15th century Behaim settled back in the Azores, doing who knows what. Consequently, the "historians" argue, he could sail west - of course, only on Portuguese ships, and if he sailed, he could reach America, and not only North, but also South. On such unconvincing grounds, they make the assumption that Beheim knew the coast of America from Florida to Brazil inclusive before 1498. Together with the anonymous captains of the Portuguese ships, Beheim acts as the forerunner of Columbus in the discovery of South America and as Cabral's informant about Brazil. See: Hennig R. Unknown Lands. Per with him. M., 1963, vol. IV, ch. 196.

The rarest exception, when it was possible to find a suitable name for the captain of the Portuguese ship, was the proposed expedition Duarte Pashecu Pireira in the 90s 15th century Pireira, a satellite of Cabral in 1500, who had sailed to the shores of West Africa more than once before, between 1505 and 1508. wrote an essay entitled "Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis" ("Emerald on the Position of the Earth"). original manuscript and complete lists we have not come down to it, of the alleged five parts (“books”), only three and an excerpt of the fourth have survived in Portuguese libraries, they were first published in 1892. In the Emerald ... some transatlantic lands are mentioned very vaguely, and the author says that he first became acquainted with them about six years before Cabral's expedition. On this "foundation" Pireira is credited with the discovery of South America in 1494, and possibly earlier. Most fully, but in an apologetic spirit, the question of Pireira's "discovery" of South America is covered in the article by Pireira da Silva in volume 1 of "History of the Portuguese colonization of Brazil" (Porto, 1921, in Portuguese). Other authors prefer not to name the alleged discoverers of South America at all: someone undoubtedly sailed there before 1498, but who exactly and when is still unknown. “And if the name is put forward ... of another navigator - the predecessor of Cabral, then the Portuguese will be able to oppose him with many of their sailors who knew about the existence of the American continent even before Columbus” ( J. Rocha Pombu).

To explore the newly discovered land on a small boat, Cabral sent a sailor Nicolau Cuelho, a member of the first expedition of Vasco da Gama. Having landed on the shore, Cuelho made the first contact with the natives, who were very friendly. The stop at Cape Corumban was unreliable, and when the storm began, Cabral on April 25 transferred the flotilla 60 km to the north, to a safe harbor, in Portuguese - Porto Seguro, the maps now give another name - Bahia Cabralia, i.e. "Cabral Bay". On May 1, 1500, Cabral took possession of the "island of Vera Cruz": he erected a large wooden cross on the hill, not padran. Consequently, Cabral seemed to emphasize that he did not attach much importance to the discovery.

On this day, Cabral sent to Lisbon a captain Gashpar Lemusha with a report to Manuel I on the progress of the expedition and the discovery of the "Island of Vera Cruz" and with several parrots. These outlandish birds made the greatest impression, and the name “country of parrots” was established behind the “island” for decades. Caminha sent a letter to Manuel, which became the most important primary source on the history of the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese. Very interesting for ethnographers is a detailed description of the first meetings (quite peaceful) of the Portuguese with the Brazilian Indians, their appearance, dwellings, lifestyle, weapons and jewelry, including lip plugs. Bushing - in the local language "Botoque", hence the name of the Indians of Eastern Brazil, given to them by the colonizers - Botokudy P. Caminha, describing their appearance - bronze-colored skin, painted black and red bodies, black straight hair - especially notes that they insert into the pierced lower lip in the form of an ornament "a bone as thick as a spindle and as long as a span."Diogo Dias, brother B. Dias, the captain of one of the ships, visited Indian village, 10 km from the coast. On his return, he reported that their dwellings were longhouses, their food was cassava bread and seeds of wild plants, berries and fish; they sleep in hammocks. In the area of ​​Porto Seguro, Cabral left behind two convicted criminals. So did his followers. And although the Portuguese claimed that the Brazilian Indians were cannibals, after decades the Europeans met aged exiles or their descendants from marriages with Indian women at different points on the coast. On May 2, 11 ships of the squadron departed from Porto Seguro to the Cape of Good Hope (about Cabral's activities in India in the chapter "Cabral's Indian Expedition").

H

and the discovery of Cabral Manuel I reacted very quickly. In 1500, he notified other monarchs of this, renaming "Vera Cruz" to "Santa Cruz": "The land of the Holy Cross is very convenient and necessary for communication with India, since he [Cabral] repaired his ships there and took water "(M. Navarrete). And in 1501, the king sent a second Portuguese expedition to the shores of an unknown land. Manuel I appointed a skilled navigator as the captain-general of a flotilla of three caravels Goncalo Cuelho with instructions to continue opening the shores of the southern mainland, find out what goods can be obtained from there and how to "press against the wall", that is, bypass the Treaty of Tordesillas. Amerigo Vespucci, who had transferred to the Portuguese service by 1501, was invited as a semi-official navigator and was given the task of describing the progress of the "first research expedition in Brazil." This becomes clear from his letters. For the first time in Russian they appeared in 1971 in Sat. "Brigantine-71".- the only, although not very reliable, source - and from a number of maps that have come down to us from the beginning of the 16th century, which show part of the coast of Brazil with the inscriptions "Santa Cruz" or "country of parrots" and with the names of several rivers, capes and bays . Fortunately for historians, the Portuguese, like the Spaniards, gave the newly discovered objects, as a rule, the names of the Catholic calendar. Taking this into account and comparing the very meager data of Vespucci's letters with the oldest maps of Brazil, historians determined the course of the discovery by the Portuguese of the coastline of the southern mainland in 1501-1502.

So, on May 10, 1501, three ships under the command of Goncalo Cuelho, with the participation of Amerigo Vespucci, left Lisbon. On June 1, at Cape Verde, they met Cabral, who was returning home. At the Bijagos archipelago, they replenished supplies for 11 days fresh water and wood. From here, the flotilla moved southwest and after a long passage, during which the weather was very stormy for almost five weeks, it touched a rocky island - most likely about. Fernando de Noronha, So it is named a year later in honor of a merchant-shipbuilder from Lisbon, who signed a contract with Manuel I to establish a colony in Brazil with a two-year monopoly on the sandalwood trade. and on August 17, she found herself near the shore of some large land. At the first Brazilian cape, the ships stood for only a week, although the crew needed rest and the ships needed repairs; the short duration of the stop was due to the fact that two sailors who had gone ashore for a trade exchange were missing - they were expected and searched for; in front of the eyes of the Spaniards, the Indians killed a young sailor sent to establish contacts. Cuelho abandoned - to the indignation of Vespucci - a punitive operation and moved south, with all segments of the flotilla's route between 5 and 25 ° S. sh. fit into the exact chronological framework thanks to the Catholic saints - below in brackets is the day of a particular saint.

The northernmost marked on the maps of the early XVI century. the point that the expedition touched in 1501 is Cape San Roque (August 17, at 5 ° 30 "S). It is located on the eastern ledge of the mainland, discovered in February - April 1500 by the Spaniards Pinson and Lepe. Undoubtedly, even for the time that it was east of the demarcation line of 1494, and, therefore, should have belonged to Portugal. That is why the expedition of 1501 did not approach the Brazilian coast at Porto Seguro (16 ° 25 "S . w.), but much further north, 11 ° closer to the equator. The Portuguese did not even think then about the already discovered in 1500 for 16 ° S. sh. "island", the coast of which Cabral traced for only 60 km. After all, already in the autumn of 1500, Pinson and Lepe - this is documented - returned to Spain.

It is more than likely that Manuel I knew by the beginning of 1501 that in the southern hemisphere beyond the ocean, relatively close to Africa, in the subequatorial strip, there is a large land, but he knew this not from Portuguese navigators, but from Portuguese spies in Spanish ports or at the Spanish court.

From Cape San Rocky began moving south along the coast of the mainland. The next point on the map was Cape Sant'Agustín (August 28), which should be identified with Cabo Branco. south of the cape Cuelho met a friendly Indian tribe, three of whose representatives voluntarily agreed to accompany the sailors across the ocean. Here the ships stood for a month, and then passed by the mouths of small rivers flowing from the Borborem plateau - San Miguel (September 29) and San Jeronimo (September 30) - and reached the mouth of a very large river. San Francisco (October 4, 10 ° 30 "S). The expedition approached the next important place - the bay of All Saints (Todus-us-Santos, November 1, at 13 ° S) - the expedition approached after four weeks It is the only major bay in the tenth latitudes, and later the colonists called it simply Bahia ("Bay"). One of the most important Brazilian provinces (now - the state of Bahia) was also officially called, and unofficially - its center, the city of Salvador. The entire coast between 7 and 16° S. sh., as already noted in chapter 5, was discovered by a secret expedition of A. Velez de Mendoza - Roldan, which the Portuguese, of course, did not know about.

At Porto Seguro, Cuelho took on board two sailors of Cabral, left for the "civilization" of the Indians; the Portuguese did not succeed in this - it’s good that they survived. Then the ships proceeded past the mouth of Santa Lucia (December 13) - probably this is the river. Dosi. They rounded Cape Sao Tome (December 21, 22°S) and turned sharply due west. On January 1, 1502, the magnificent bay of Guanabara opened up before the Portuguese, which they took for the mouth of the river and called the “January River” - Rio de Janeiro (at 23 ° S; it first appears on the map Piri Reisa in 1513). The ships then sailed 100 km west to the bay of Angra dos Reis (January 6), where the shore deviated to the southwest; The expedition crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and reached about. San Vicente (January 22, at 24° S). The “baptism” of the shores of the new mainland seemed to have stopped at this point: oldest maps"Land of Santa Cruz" there are no Christian names for more southerly points, the coastline is cut off about 200 km southwest of São Vicente and the last name is "Rio de Cananor" (now Cananea, at 25 ° S. and 48° W) is clearly "pagan".

From here Cuelho decided to return home; one ship under the command of the representative F. di Noronha separated from the flotilla and arrived in Lisbon on June 24, 1502. The two remaining caravels sailed from the coast of Brazil on February 13, 1502, Vespucci wrote: by February 15, 1502, he had reached 32°S along the coast. sh., but this statement is not confirmed by other evidence, and, as we see, it is refuted by maps. passed, according to Vespucci's calculations, almost 3 thousand km and on April 3 at 52 ° S lat. saw " new land". Most likely, both the length of the path and the achieved latitude were erroneously determined: the discovered island, which did not have anchorages, is probably about. Trindade (at 20° S and 30° W). The sailors persuaded Cuella to change course, and on May 10, 1502, both ships approached the shores of Sierra Leone, where one dilapidated caravel had to be burned. Cuelho arrived in Lisbon on September 6, 1502.

The results of the voyage disappointed the crown: no gold, no silver - only a brazilian tree, parrots and monkeys, but the geographical achievements of the expedition turned out to be enormous: the coast of the new land between 5 ° 30 "and 25 ° S. was discovered and mapped, of course primitive. from Cape San Roque to the "river" Cananea, more than 3 thousand km long, including 1 thousand km (from 5 ° 30 "to 16 ° S) a second time, after Veles de Mendoza. For more than 4.5 centuries, this voyage was semi-anonymous: Vespucci, distinguished by verbosity and the ability to paint details, never - unenviable constancy - did not name the boss. Only in the late 60s. of our century in the library of the Italian city of Fano, on the Adriatic, at the 13th century. d. found World map, dated to about 1504–1505. Brazil is called "Land of Gonçalo Cuelho...". After such a convincing discovery, Cuelho's position in the history of geographical discoveries became unshakable.

At the beginning of the XVI century. this Portuguese discovery was associated with the results of the Spanish expeditions of 1498–1502, which discovered the northeastern and northern shores of the new land. It could only be an overseas continent, previously unknown, for the most part lying in the southern hemisphere. Consequently, it had nothing to do with East Asia.

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short info

Brazil is famous for its luxurious numerous beaches, which stretch for hundreds of kilometers along east coast country. However, every year millions of tourists from the most different countries world come to Brazil not only for the excellent beach resorts. Tourists are also interested in the sights and culture of this country, which gave the world samba, capoeira and Brazilian football.

Geography of Brazil

Brazil is located in South America. Brazil is bordered to the north by Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana and French Guiana, to the northwest by Colombia, to the west by Peru and Bolivia, to the south by Uruguay, and to the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay. In the east, the country is washed Atlantic Ocean. The total area of ​​this state is 8,514,877 sq. km., and the total length state border– 14,691 km.

The territory of Brazil is very diverse - there are lowlands, plains, hills, mountains. In the north is the Amazonian lowland, passing into the Guiana Plateau, and in the south - the Brazilian Plateau. The highest local peak is Neblin Peak, whose height reaches 2,994 meters.

The main Brazilian rivers are the Amazon, the Parana (and its main tributary the Iguazu), the Negro, the San Francisco and the Madeira.

Capital of Brazil

Brasilia is the capital of Brazil. The population of this city is now more than 2.6 million people. Brasilia was built in the late 1950s.

Official language

The official language is Portuguese.

Religion

About 86% of the inhabitants are Christians (more than 84% of them are Catholics, and more than 22% are Protestants).

State structure of Brazil

According to the 1988 Constitution, Brazil is a federal republic. Its head is the President, who is elected for 4 years. Executive power belongs to the President, Vice President and the Cabinet of Ministers, consisting of 15 ministers with a chairman.

The bicameral Brazilian parliament is called the National Congress, it consists of the Senate (81 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (513 deputies).

The main political parties are the Workers' Party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Party, the Progressive Party and the Republican Party.

Administratively, the country is divided into 26 states and one federal district centered in Brasilia.

Climate and weather

The climate is diverse, ranging from tropical to subequatorial. In the Amazon basin, the climate is tropical with an average annual air temperature of +27C.

The best time to visit Brazil is from December to March. At this time, the weather is sunny enough to sunbathe on the beaches and swim in the ocean. In addition, you need to remember about the Brazilian Carnival in February.

In general, you can relax in this South American country all year round. But keep in mind that in the northeast the rainy season falls on April-July, and in the Rio de Janeiro region - in October-January.

Ocean off the coast of Brazil

In the east, Brazil is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the coastline is 7,491 km. average temperature sea ​​near the coast from January to March - + 25C, and from July to September - + 23C.

Rivers and lakes

Brazil has a large number of rivers. The largest of these are the Amazon, the Paraná (and its main tributary the Iguazu), the Negro, San Francisco and Madeira.

In the state of Parana, on the border with Argentina, there are the famous Iguazu Falls, consisting of 270 individual waterfalls.

History of Brazil

The modern history of Brazil began in 1500, when the Portuguese fleet headed by Pedro Alvares Cabral sailed to the shores of this country. The first Portuguese settlement in Brazil appeared in 1532, and the colonization of this country actually began in 1534, when the Portuguese king divided it into 12 colonies.

In 1549, the colonies were iced into a single Brazilian government-general. By the middle of the 16th century, Brazil had become the world's largest supplier of sugar. To grow sugar cane, black slaves from Angola and Mozambique began to be imported there in large quantities.

In 1640, the Marquis de Montalvan became the first Viceroy of Brazil. By the end of the 17th century, sugar exports from this South American state declined markedly. However, nothing threatened the Brazilian economy, because. large reserves of gold were found in the country.

In 1822, Brazil declared independence from Portugal - the Brazilian Empire was formed, headed by Emperor Pedro I.

Slavery in Brazil was only abolished in 1888. A year later, in 1889, the Republic of Brazil was proclaimed.

In 1930, Getulio Vargas became president of Brazil, who then introduced personal rule in the country - a dictatorship. In 1954, the highest officers of the Brazilian army carried out a political armed coup, and Marshal Humberto Castelo Branco actually came to power.

Brazil is now the political and economic leader in South America.

culture

Modern Brazilian society was formed as a result of the merging of representatives of many cultures. That is why Brazilian culture is so diverse and interesting.

Capoeira, one of the most beautiful martial arts in the world, was born in Brazil. Capoeira emerged among the black slaves as a response to the brutality of the white planters.

Another characteristic feature of Brazilian culture is the samba dance. This dance remains the most popular form of folk music for many Brazilians today.

Also, do not forget about football, which for the vast majority of Brazilians has already become a real religion. Is it possible to imagine Brazilian culture without football?

Every year at the end of February, before Lent, many Brazilian cities hold the Carnival, which today has already become the most grandiose show in the world. The cities of Rio de Janeiro and El Salvador are especially famous for their parades, the organizers of which spend several months annually preparing.

Brazilian Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine has been influenced by the culinary traditions of local Indians, Portuguese, Italians, Germans, Africans, and even Japanese and Arabs. The staple foods for many Brazilians are rice, black beans and cassava.

Some experts say that as such there is no single Brazilian cuisine, but there are separate regional culinary traditions.

Tourists in Brazil are recommended to try "feijoada" (rice, beans with tomatoes and meat), "charrasco" kebabs, "tutu" (mashed beans and meat), "embalaya" (meat stew with vegetables and tomatoes), "xinxim" (chicken with tomatoes and shrimps), "acaraje" (fried beans), "calderada" vegetable soup, shrimps with vegetables and "caruru" spicy sauce, Brazilian "hoo" "mokicha", etc.

Traditional soft drinks are fruit juices, coconut juice, and, of course, coffee.

Traditional alcoholic drinks - "kashasa" (strong national alcoholic drink), beer and rum.

Attractions in Brazil

In Brazil, tourists are waiting not only for excellent picturesque beaches but also very interesting sights. Near the border with Argentina and Paraguay on the Iguazu River are the famous Iguazu Falls, which are visited annually by about 1 million tourists.

The most important Brazilian attraction is a huge 38-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.

65 km from Rio de Janeiro in Petropolis is the Imperial Museum, as well as a very interesting summer residence of Emperor Pedro I.

Tourists are advised to visit the city of Salvador, which once upon a time became the first settlement of the Portuguese in Brazil. In this city, a large number of medieval churches, monasteries and palaces have survived to this day.

We also recommend paying attention to the Brazilian reserves and National parks, of which there are more than twenty in this country. This is, first of all, national park Iguazu, whose area is 17 thousand hectares and the Pantanal Reserve, with an area of ​​150 thousand square meters. km.

Cities and resorts

The largest cities are Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Manaus, and, of course, Sao Paulo.

Brazil is world famous for its beaches. Some of them are among the best in the world. Every seaside Brazilian city can be called beach resort. Naturally, the beach infrastructure is well developed there. The top ten Brazilian beaches, in our opinion, include the following:

1. Baia do Sancho (Fernando de Noronha)
2. Lopes Mendes Beach
3. Baia dos Porcos (Fernando de Noronha)
4. Praia dos Carneiros (Porto de Galinhas)
5. Dolphins Bay (Praia de Pipa)
6. Ipanema Beach (Rio de Janeiro)
7. Lagoa Azul (Ilha Grande)
8. Arpoador Beach
9. Muro Alto Beach (Porto de Galinhas)
10. Gunga Beach (Maceio)

Souvenirs/Shopping

As souvenirs, various handicrafts, leather goods, wallets and purses, handmade jewelry, football souvenirs, small figurines of Christ the Redeemer, women's kanga scarves, and the Brazilian traditional alcoholic drink cachaca are brought from Brazil as souvenirs.

Office Hours

Banks:
Mon-Fri: 10:00 -16:00

The shops:
Mon-Sat: 10:00 - 18:00

Visa

Ukrainians need a visa to visit Brazil.

Brazilian currency

Opening

Almost immediately, the Portuguese crown begins to explore and map new lands. On January 1, 1502, an expedition under the command of Gaspard de Lemouch enters the bay, which initially takes it to be the mouth of a wide river. In accordance with tradition, the place is named after the saint of a particular month - the January River of St. Sebastian (Rio de Janeiro do São Sebastião). Subsequently, it becomes clear that this is not a river, but a bay (now Guanabara Bay). But the name was decided to remain the same. Saint Sebastian is still considered the protector and patron of Rio. The Portuguese liked the bay itself with its calm waters and numerous islands. The lands around were not of particular value to them, since they mainly consisted of steep and high hills. Gradually, the islands of the bay and the coast of the continent begin to be occupied by the first emigrants from Europe.

French Antarctica

Governor-General Tomé de Sousa was appointed to manage the new colony. He founded the capital in the northeast of Brazil, in the city of Salvador. Excommunicated from court social life in Portugal, Sousa took to drink and quickly lost control of the colony (for which he was subsequently executed by the inquisitors). Meanwhile, with the blessing of the Huguenot order and the French Marshal Coligny (Coligny) Cavalier Order of Malta Vice Admiral Nicolas Durand (Nicolas Durend de Villegaignon) was sent to the shores of Rio de Janeiro. It was from here that France, taking advantage of the weakness of the Brazilian colony, decided to create its own - French Antarctica. Nature and God did not contribute to this event in any way. Two ships carrying 600 soldiers, sailors and Church officials first suffered from scurvy in Africa. There they were forced to wait a long time for a headwind and current. Meanwhile, drinking water and resources were gradually running out. Finally, on November 10, 1555, the ships entered Guanabara Bay. Suddenly, reconnaissance boats scattered throughout the bay are overtaken by a storm, rare in these places. Several hundred French go to the bottom. taught By bitter experience, Duran decides to land on the shores of the bay, and not on its islands. Forts are built at the entrance to the bay. Thus, any ship illegally enteredthe bay was attacked by cannonballs from two sides at once.The main fortification is being built on the site of the modern city center. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by the sea, the town gradually begins to rebuild, laying the foundation for a new French colony.

Foundation of the city

In 1550, the French receive reinforcements in the form of three ships requested by Durand from Paris. French subjects, frightened by the iron discipline of the leader of the colony, flee to the virgin forests of Brazil and live in Indian tribes. Reinforcements were called upon to raise morale (80 soldiers, artillery, nobles and artisans). Of course, the pastors of the Holy Church also arrived on the ships - 14 Protestant monks, whose task was to form a Calvinist church in the new colony. Trying to overcome any (including religious) dissent, Duran tightens his rule day by day. As a result, the policy of French Antarctica leads to rebellions within the colony. Meanwhile, in place of the unfortunate governor-general de Sousa, a new nobleman, Mem de Sa, who had proven himself from the best side, was sent. He takes the colony under strict control and immediately sends an army to drive the French from territory of Rio de Janeiro. His nephew Estacio de Sa commanded the army.

In 1564, de Sa's troops approached Guanabara Bay. Fearing military forts at the entrance to the Gulf of Eshtasio, he commands a landing much further south, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bmodern Copacabana. On foot, through the passes, the troops invade the territory of the French and, within a few days, occupy the main positions. The demoralized French colony surrenders and its defenders leave the Brazilian shores. March 1, 1565 (the day of the conquest of the Gulf of Guanabara) is considered to be the date of the founding of Rio de Janeiro as a city.

Jesuit Order

This order played a big role in the development of the city. As you know, the Jesuits were the most free and "daring" servants of the Holy Mother Church. Forward front of the Catholic Church a lot was forgiven. The double standards of the Inquisition allowed the Jesuits any action aimed at spreading the true faith in the European colonies. For example, the Pope forbade the use of the indigenous population as slaves. The Jesuits convert the Indians to the Catholic faith and, as free people, force them to build monasteries. Including main monastery in Rio de Janeiro - São Bento. Numerous pirates who lived off the coast of the new Portuguese colony also received all sorts of preferences, subject to loyalty to the Portuguese crown. The Jesuits, having chosen the center of Rio de Janeiro, create a network of their monasteries throughout Brazil. Along with this, they create infrastructure (inns, roads, postal service). In addition to religion, the Jesuit order brings culture and art to the new country.

Troubled times

Portugal did not stand on ceremony with its colonies, which acted as milk cows. Angola, Brazil, the Cape Verde Islands… All of them were obliged to supply the kingdom with almost everything they had. At the same time, the crown forbade any production in the colonized lands. This was done in order to support the wealthy industrialists of Portugal. Of course, such a situation only weakened the colonies and could not but affect the standard of living in them. Taking advantage of the weakness of Brazil, in 1695 the French again made an attempt to capture Rio and nearby territories. This tidbit never gave them rest. The exadra of the Duke de Genet attempts to enter the Gulf of Guanabara, but is forced to leave the battlefield due to resistance from the shores of the Gulf. However, in 1711 the French returned to the bay and in one night took up strong positions both on water and on land. The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Castro Moraes, does not join the battle and withdraws his troops from the city. Thus giving it into the hands of the enemy. The population of the city is trying to escape in the nearby forests. The conquerors burned the whole city down to the last house. About a month later, the governor decides to offer the French a ransom of 600,000 cruzados, 100 boxes of sugar, and 200 bulls. The proposal was accepted, as the army of Antonio de Alberge was on the way. The French accepted the offering and went home without getting involved in a war with the more daring Alberge. As for the cowardly Moraes, he was immediately deported to India, having lost all his property.

Capital of Brazil

In 1740, Brazil received the status of viceroyalty and its leaders moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeira, giving the city the status of the capital of the colony. With this status, the city begins to develop much faster. One of the viceroys, the Marquis de Lavradio, attaches great importance to agricultural reforms, and coffee and cane plantations begin to grow rapidly in the city. With the advent of the new Viceroy Louise de Vasconcelos (1779), the Academy of Sciences and the Literary Society appear in the city. De Vasconcelos also patronized the Theater. Thanks to him, in 1781, the first performances took place on the hay of the Opera House. The city began to grow, and with it its population. If in 1749 there were only 25 thousand inhabitants, then in 1800 there were already 100 thousand. By this time, there were 1,051 stores, 123 factories, two libraries, two theaters, several educational institutions, private courses of foreign languages ​​and philosophy.

Kingdom

Napoleon, unwittingly, radically changed the life of Brazil and its capital. Launching an offensive against Portugal, he forced the Prince Regent Don Juan the Sixth, his mother, Queen Dona Maria of Portugal, as well as the entire royal court, to board ships and flee to Brazil. In addition to the courtiers, 50,000 aristocrats, large industrialists and merchants, priests and other nobility sailed to the Portuguese colony. In fact, Lisbon was left to the mercy of Napoleon without a fight. In 1808 ships come to the city of Salvador. Don Juan, realizing that a small town cannot accommodate the 50,000th army of refugees, decides to sail further to Rio de Janeiro. The viceroy, waiting for the arrival of his overlord, drives the hosts out into the street best houses cities, preparing them for new owners. The sign “PR” (prince regent) was placed above the doors, but the inhabitants deciphered it in their own way - Ponha na Rua (get out into the street).

Don Juan also swung at the largest monastery in the city, São Bento, seduced by its beauty and huge halls. But the abbot of the monastery turned out to be cunning enough and dissuaded the prince from this undertaking, telling him a lot scary stories about the constant earthquakes and lightning strikes that allegedly destroyed the sacred abode. Nevertheless, the arrival of Don Juan in Brazil had a positive impact on both the country itself and its capital. In a short time, new institutions are being created in Rio: the Bank of Brazil, a medical school, a military academy, a chemical laboratory, a royal library and new theaters. By the way famous Botanical Garden cities also owe their appearance to the new king. Known for his love of food, Don Juan sent messengers to all countries. They brought new fruit plants to Rio (this is how durian appeared in Brazil) and various herbs for seasoning. Tea was introduced to Brazil in 1810. Several hundred gardeners from China arrived to take care of the new plant.

Independence

In 1816, Dona Maria died and Don Juan inherited the crown of the united kingdom of Brazil, Portugal and the Algarves. He did not want to return to Lisbon, preferring to rule the kingdom from Rio de Janeiro. And only in 1821, having listened to the urgent requests of Great Britain, he returned to his homeland, leaving control of Brazil to his son, Don Pedro.

The deputies of the Legislative Assembly of Portugal appealed to Don Juan with a demand to lower Brazil to the rank of a colony and restore its status as a dependent on Portugal. In 1822, the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro petitioned the regent Don Pedro, in which they expressed their disagreement with this order and demanded independence from Portugal. After 8 months, with the support of the people, Don Pedro is proclaimed the First Constitutional Emperor of the Brazilian Empire, Don Pedro the First. Actually, the Brazilian Empire had only two emperors - Don Pedro the First and his son Don Pedro the Second (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga). Both of them have done a lot both for the country and for Rio de Janeiro. No longer burdened by the taxes that Portugal had to pay, Brazil developed rapidly.

Abolition of slavery and the republic

In 1888, Don Pedro II sailed to Europe to treat his tuberculosis. His daughter Princess Isabel (Dona Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Bragança e Bourbon) remained in charge of the country. It was her hand that signed the law freeing the slaves. The slaves themselves called the law "golden". But their former owners did not agree with them. Of course, slavery was condemned all over the world, but no one renounced it with the stroke of a pen. The regent's decree sent Brazil into an economic collapse. The owners of fazendas and enterprises were left without a workforce. The country's economy is rapidly falling. In addition, the new "free citizens" do not want to work, neither for money, nor for food. Crime is thriving in the country, huge masses of people do not know what to do with themselves.

The military elite, led by Marshal Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca, suggested that the princess relinquish the throne. Without a single drop of blood on November 15, 1889, the country turns from an empire into a republic. The royal family leaves Brazil for Europe. Dona Isabel was offered a very good life annuity as compensation, but she refused. Marshal Fonseca, the first president of Brazil, becomes the head of the republic. The new Republican government does not stand on ceremony with its citizens. A dictatorial form of government is what the country needed at that moment. Former slaves found a use. From the north, northwest of Brazil, they were forcibly sent to Rio de Janeiro. Here a barrack-type town was created for them, which was called Cidade de Deus (City of God). For a relatively small fee, the godoks were involved in construction work, the improvement of the city, and maintenance. That is, to any work that did not require qualified knowledge. This is how the first favela of Rio de Janeiro appeared.

President Getulio Vargas

For many years, the Brazilian government pursued a so-called "coffee with milk" policy. This meant the development of only two Brazilian states - Minas Gerais (the main producer of milk and beef) and São Paulo (coffee production). The economies of the other states practically did not develop, as they did not receive government subsidies. Members of the government headed by the presidents cared too much about their own business and completely forgot about the needs of the people.

Among the military and the nobility, discontent was ripening. On November 3, 1930, a group of people in military uniform breaks into the parliament building of the republic and seizes power. The revolution took place within a few days. The old government never believed in its possibility. Even despite the fact that the revolutionaries were declaring themselves with might and main in the newspapers. Their head was Getulio Vargas (b. 19/04/1882 - died 24/08/1954). Lawyer, industrialist, journalist, military man, Vargas was a rather versatile person. Immediately after the revolution, the military junta handed over to him the reins of the provisional government of Brazil. Getulio settles in the capital and almost immediately begins to change its appearance. Many buildings in the historic center are being demolished and huge, imperial-style ministries and departments of the New State (Estado Novo) are rebuilt in their place. Hundreds of houses were demolished just so that the new president could build the widest, straightest and longest street for military reviews and parades. Now it is named after Getulio Vargs.

Under President Vargas so-called "squadrons" were introduced of death - police squads that shoot all the homeless of the city, including women and children. During his reign, thousands of politicians and public figures who disagreed with the pro-fascist policies of the New State were sent to jail. Brazil took part in the Second World War. First, Vargas sent soldiers to help the Italians. By the end of the war, realizing that fortune was slipping away from the Nazis, he defected to the side of the Allies. By and large, Brazil has earned on both sides, supplying not only cannon fodder, but also food, metals, weapons, oil.

Immediately after the end of the war, Vargas was removed from his post, but supporting the policy of the new President Dutra, he was not deported from the country. Moreover, he took an active part in the political life of the country. And after 5 years, by popular vote, he returned to his previous position. In 1954, luck again turns away from Getulio Vargas. Inflation is rising in the country and workers are going on strike, demanding higher wages. In August of this year, military officials demanded the resignation of Vargas. His response was suicide and a suicide note in which he expressed his conviction that his policy was the right one.

Events from 1960 to the present day

Since the 20s of the last century, Rio began to grow not only in width, but also in height. The first high-rise buildings appeared. Under President Vargas, their number increased every day. southern beaches were separated from the center by high hills. In order to develop, it was necessary to either blow them up or build tunnels. Only at the end of the fifties was a new tunnel built, connecting the center and the Copacabana area. Despite the fact that this area has existed since the end of the 19th century, the inhabitants of Rio have paid attention to it only now. Thanks to the new liberal government, literature and culture are once again flourishing in the city. Copacabana becomes a Bohemian neighborhood. Americans starting to explore Brazil as a new holiday destination preferred to stay there. A lot of luxury hotels are being built on Copacabana, a decade later it was decided to increase the territory of the beach and expand the promenade due to the embankment.

In 1960, the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia, new town built from scratch. The decision to move the capital was due to several factors. First, Rio was heavily overpopulated. Secondly, it gradually began to turn into the center of tourism in Brazil. Thirdly, for security reasons, the capital should be located in the depths of the country, and not on its coast. Has the city suffered from the fact that it ceased to be the capital? Not at all. It was not the presence of power that made this city rich, but its businessmen, industrialists, haciendas and, of course, tourism. The presence of a complete apparatus of power only hindered the development of Rio de Janeiro.

Taking advantage of God-given beauties, nature, location, Rio has relied on tourism. And not only did not lose, but also wins so far. Rio de Janeiro is still considered one of the most beautiful cities world and attracts millions of tourists every year.