Brazil's Independence: A Royal Declaration

Brazil's independence was basically a prince declaring freedom from his own dad's kingdom.

Here’s what happened: When Napoleon invaded Portugal, the entire royal family fled to their

colony, Brazil. They loved it there and made Rio the capital of the whole

Portuguese Empire. After the war, Portugal got jealous and tried to turn Brazil back into

a basic colony. But the prince, Dom Pedro, who was left in charge,

had other ideas. Brazilians begged him to stay, and on September 7,

1822, he declared independence and became Emperor of Brazil. It was a revolution

from the top down.