History

The transfer of the Portuguese Royal Family to Brazil in 1807 was a milestone in Brazilian colonial history. Driven by the Napoleonic wars and the continental blockade imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte, this move triggered profound political, economic, and social transformations that shaped modern Brazil. This article explores the international scenario that led to the transfer, the context in the colony before the Court's arrival, the challenges faced during the journey, and the lasting consequences of this historical movement.

The colonization of Brazil, initiated in the 16th century, was characterized by the exploitation of natural resources, such as brazilwood, and the implementation of administrative structures like hereditary captaincies. The history of colonial Brazil is divided into three main periods: the recognition and possession of the new land (1500–1549), the consolidation of colonization with the creation of the general government (1549–late 18th century), and the transformations that culminated in Independence in 1822. During these periods, the relationship between the metropolis and the colony was governed by mercantilist conceptions, in which the colonies should contribute to the self-sufficiency of the metropolis, serving as reserved areas for exclusive economic exploitation.

When Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived on the Brazilian coast in 1500, it is estimated that the territory was home to about 3.5 million inhabitants. The Tupinambá and the Tupiniquim, peoples belonging to the Tupi-Guarani group, had secured control of the coast.

Pre-Cabral Brazil spans thousands of years of human occupation, whose fascinating history can be partially reconstructed through archaeological and historical evidence.

Long before Pedro Álvares Cabral sighted Monte Pascoal in 1500, our territory already possessed a rich and fascinating history. This history was shaped by powerful geological forces and inhabited by peoples whose mysteries archaeology is still unraveling.

The great navigations of the 15th century marked a rupture in the European conception of the world and the Atlantic Ocean. The voyages of explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opened up new possibilities for reaching the East via the south.

While the Portuguese systematically advanced around Africa, the Spanish surprised the world with Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492