A Última Flor de Lacio

[ToasterOven456]

Chapter 3
A Compromise and a War
The drafting of the Constitution only began on June 7, 1825, due to most propositions being blocked by either one faction or the other, and now that the Liberals were now part of the Assembly, it became even more difficult to implement changes.
However, Bonifácio managed to have a deal with the Moderates, by which the Moderates would accept the Emperor having more power in exchange for the establishment of an unicameral Congress that would deal with some internal issues (Taxation, landownership, city planning and management and education) whilst matters of foreign policy (or who were intimately related to foreign policy, such as trade and slavery) would be in the hands of the Emperor. Bonifácio hoped that his ideas, such as building a capital in the center of the country and land reform would fall in the hands of the Emperor (Which he believed could be convinced into adopting these reforms), however, they fell to the Congress.
Suffrage was to be both limited and expanded. It was given that to vote, a man must be a Catholic, not be a slave or illiterate and have a certain amount of wealth. The wealth requirements would be lowered so as to allow the highest echelons of the middle classes - Represented by the Moderates - to vote.
The Compromise was originally supposed to be the reverse, as the Moderates feared that Pedro I would be an expansionist who would throw young Brazil into a potentially devastating war with Portugal or Argentina. In a failed attempt, the Independists tried to add a clause that proclaimed the annexation of Grão-Pará as a state goal in the Constitution, but were rejected by the leaders of their factions.
The Constitution was approved by Pedro I, who enjoyed the powers that he now held on matters of foreign policy.
By early October 1825, things were going well. The military was quickly modernizing; Congress on its first session was functioning, even if slowly; and many Brazilians felt that after a rough independence war, the country was on a path toward peace and prosperity.
The United Provinces of the Rio de La Plata had other plans.

Flag of the Province of Cisplatine

While by September some revolts were taking place in the Cisplatine region, they were small enough not to alarm anyone besides regional authorities. The Battle of Sarandi, which was fought using local troops and under an inept commander, resulted in a worrying Brazilian defeat. This inspired the United Provinces of the Rio de La Plata to declare the annexation of Banda Oriental into the country on October 25, 1825.
Whilst this was happening, Pedro I's heir, Pedro II, had just been born in Rio de Janeiro, and Pedro I was extremely happy about having an heir and of being a father.
He however had to go back to the reality of administering a country, and declared war on the United Provinces on December 10, 1825, starting the Cisplatine War.

Battle of Sarandi

The war was gruesome and thousands of both Brazilians and Argentines would die during the conflict. It was, however, a decisive Brazilian victory.
Argentina, assuming that the Brazilian loss of the Amazon would mean a weakened Brazil, invaded the country on the assumption that they would be able to have a quick win and annex Cisplatine, and after that Pedro I would simply give up on the war and sign a peace treaty. They did not take into account the fact that both the Brazilian Navy and Army were being modernized at a quick pace. The Argentines were defeated in land, and were crushed at sea, with the Argentine fleet being almost completely destroyed, and its admiral, William Brown, killed in battle. By February 1826, Brazilian troops were marching on Misiones and were pressing their advantage. [1]
The Argentine government quickly sued for peace by May 1826. Pedro I, hoping to satisfy the Independist movement and also strengthening his popularity, pressed for the annexation of the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes and Entre Ríos.
Brazil not only managed to defend and keep Cispatine, but also annexed three provinces of Argentina.
In a controversial move, however, that has been characterized as one of the most disgusting and illegal actions by Brazil, 70 thousand people living in those three provinces were forcibly removed and pushed into Paraguay or Argentina between June 1826 and October 1826. Although Argentina protested this move, it was too weak to do anything of note about it. About 7 thousand - one-tenth - of those people died on the way. The 'Death Road' (Estrada da Morte) remains one of the darkest chapters of the reign of Pedro I and contemporany historians have subjected it to a much deeper analysis after this event had been ignored by historians for almost two centuries.
Nevertheless, it seemed like Pedro I was more powerful and more well-regarded than ever before. The modernization of the Army, the Constitution that gave him some powers, the birth of an heir and a big victory in a war seemed to make up for his "loss" of the Amazon.
It seemed like everything was going Pedro I's way.

Flag of the Empire of Brazil and Pedro I
[1] IOTL, the Brazilians tried to invade this region in March and November of 1826, but were pushed back by the Argentines. With a stronger Brazilian Army, this would succeed with an one-month advantage

After the Brazilian victory and the signing of the Treaty of Colónia do Sacramento, nationalism in the country was at an all-time high and many politicians (Mostly Conservative) who opposed the war were badly defeated in the June 1826 Parliamentary election. This new Liberal-Moderate coalition was based on the 'Letter of The Three Principles' (Carta dos Três Princípios), a letter signed by Diogo António Feijó [1] and José Bonifácio.

Diogo António Feijó

The Three Principles that the letter enumerates are:
1 - Reducing the slave trade, with the objective of it being totally phased out by 1836
2 - Land reform. All unproductive government property would be seized and redistributed
3 - "Peopling" of the interior. In conjuction with point number 2, Lusophone migrants would settle in the Brazilian West and in the Cisplatine region + the "Mesoplatina" territory (The conquered Argentine provinces). This would be done to prevent the Hispanicization of those regions and to defend the borders of Brazil
The first point was done with the introduction of the Feijó Law (Lei Feijó), which passed the Assembly on August 1826. It tried to reduce the flow of trafficked slaves to Brazil, with both British and Portuguese assistance in the seas.
The second was accomplished by the so-called Land Laws (Leis da Terra), which passed the Congress on August 1826, it gave away many government-owned lands to Lusophone (Portuguese or Brazilian, as Bonifácio wanted) farmers to settle and cultivate in. They also managed to succeed on the third front by creating mechanisms to incentivate these Lusophones to settle and live in the Brazilian West, Cisplatine and "Mesoplatina" region.

[1] IOTL the two were political rivals and Feijó founded the Liberal Party in 1831, following Pedro I's abdication. However, due to the butterflies, he gets involved in politics earlier, and while still divergent with some of Bonifácio's views, agrees with him in some other issues

All credit to our good friend @unnaturalmilk

 

[davvasconcelos]

The Argentine Confederation made a blunder by underestimating the Brazilian army.
Although not the Amazon provinces, the Mesoplatine territory will give a great boost to Brazilian morale and economy. Access to the western provinces and trade with neighboring countries are guaranteed through the Rio de la Plata basin.
It remains to be seen whether in the future there will be reasons for a Farropilha revolt and which provinces can join the revolution.
Considering that Pedro I was successful in his government, what will the Portuguese succession look like in this TL?

 

[Taunay]

It remains to be seen whether in the future there will be reasons for a Farropilha revolt and which provinces can join the revolution.

I'm thinking about it not even happening, because
1 - This would be a Brazil-screw admittedly and
2 - The Revolt IOTL happened because of the competition between Southern ranchers and Uruguayan ones. With the Southerners having easier access to Cisplatine, one of the main reasons for the revolt never happen

 

[holycookie]

South america at the moment

 

[holycookie]

Unfortunately that happened in 1822, so it's way past where the TL is at now.
But Grão-Pará would be right next to Alto Peru, so maybe they could annex it

the moment bolivia asks to be part of portugal, it will split between its neighbors who do not want a european power on their side. Alto peru would be split between Brazil, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

 

[Aluma]

South america at the moment
View attachment 767342

Just looking at this feels like Paraguay might not survive seeing how it fits right in between the brazilian borders

 

[davvasconcelos]

South america at the moment
View attachment 767342

In this timeline, does the territory corresponding to the OTL acre belong to Peru?
Is there Portuguese occupation in the upper acre territory?
In OTL this land mass only really came to belong to Brazil after the ayacucho treaty in 1867.

 

[holycookie]

In this timeline, does the territory corresponding to the OTL acre belong to Peru?
Is there Portuguese occupation in the upper acre territory?
In OTL this land mass only really came to belong to Brazil after the ayacucho treaty in 1867.

in otl acre belonged to peru, then bolivia and finally brazil.
the Portuguese will hardly be able to conquer this territory in the same way that Brazilians did

 

[davvasconcelos]

in otl acre belonged to peru, then bolivia and finally brazil.
the Portuguese will hardly be able to conquer this territory in the same way that Brazilians did

I didn't know I belonged to Peru before I was from Bolivia. Good to know for future reference.
If Brazil is lucky, it can repeat the feat and gain control of some Amazonian territory.

 

[Taunay]

South america at the moment
View attachment 767342

Close, once we find some decent map-making software, we'll post the borders.

 

[UnaiB]

This is a more accurate map of the South American borders IOTL in 1826.

I have taken it from the following YouTube video:

 

[ToasterOven456]

Chapter 4
A Time For Celebration (And Affairs)
1827 was a special year for the Brazilian Empire.
With a nationalistic feeling and joyous celebrations of the survival of the country and the defeat of the Argentines in the Cisplatine War, the Assembly decided that the Government would hold the National Celebration of the Empire of Brazil Under His Majesty Pedro I (Celebração Nacional do Império do Brasil Sob Sua Majestade Pedro I), also known as the "Celebration Day" (Dia da Celebração). Announced on July 1826, it was a celebration that would take place on 9 January 1827. The date was chosen as it was the fifth anniversary of the Dia do Fico, an important step in the Independence of Brazil. Maricá, a small city sufficiently close to Rio de Janeiro, was chosen as the venue of the celebrations.
The convention took place on January 9, 1827. Many foreign dignitaries, such as the Secretary of State of the United States and a British minister, were present. Many exhibitions - Including a hall where all of the Brazilian provinces were represented - were shown to the about 500 thousand people who attended (Mostly Brazilians from the Rio de Janeiro region).
The press spoke positively of the event. Although many people, especially poorer Brazilians and people from the most distant provinces (Such as Mato Grosso and the Cisplatine/Mesoplatina axis) were critical of the event, which they saw as a waste of money and too Rio-centric.
But, after all, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Empire and its importance to the national consciousness and the Brazilian identity (Especially after the "loss" of the Amazon) were very big.
Regardless, the rest of the year, although relatively quiet compared to 1822 to 1826, was a very important one. Many sociologists and historians consider the "Ethos of 1827" (Ethos de 1827) as a founding block of the Empire of Brazil during the last years of the reign of Pedro I.
It was an ethos marked by profound nationalism and a sense of pride. It however was shaped by the writings of prominent Independists and its nationalism also meant that there was much uncertainty on the question of whether Brazil should fight against Portugal to "reconquer" Grão-Pará. Some argued that it should not, after all, it would not be a very big boost for Brazil. José Bonifácio, always the Lusophile, criticized what he called the "Independist aura" of 1827, arguing that instead of fighting Portugal, Brazil should be closer and more aligned with it. A major point of contention and debate is whether he proposed a Lusophone Union post-1822, or if those were made up conspiracy theories propagated by the Independist faction.
In the Cisplatine region, the process of "Lusophonization" had already been underway. A survey conducted on the request of the Brazilian government found that 70% of the population of Montevidéu spoke Portuguese, and that 90% of babies born in the city between January and March of 1827 were the children of Portuguese-speaking parents. The local government incentivized Lusophone parents to have as many children as possible, on the belief that this would prevent another rebellion in the region.
In Mesoplatina, around 30 to 50% of the population still spoke Spanish (According to the same survey). Although the 'Death Road' reduced the proportion, the fact that it was still half Spanish-speaking meant that the "Lusophonization" policies proposed by the Brazilian government would need to be accelerated and intensified.
No other major events took place in 1827. As previously mentioned, it was a remarkably 'quiet' year compared to the ones preceding it.
Whilst all of that was happening however, the passage of the year from 1827 to 1828 would see a tragedy that would ultimately sadden Pedro I, but would also later on make him very unpopular.

On December 11, 1827, Maria Leopoldina, Pedro I's wife died in her sleep. [1]

Maria Leopoldina da Áustria

The nation was greatly saddened by her death. But soon attention turned to an aspect of Pedro I's personality which was ignored up to that point. His disturbingly high number of affairs with other women. He had already granted Domitila de Castro the title of marquess, and two weeks after his wife's death, he was seen walking with her along the city.

Domitila de Castro, Marquess of Santos

It was no surprise as most people knew for a long time that Pedro I was a womaniser and constantly had affairs with other women. What did upset people, even major Catholic bishops, was the fact that he continued on having these affairs even just a little after his wife's death. This was a blatant sign of disrespect towards a woman that the people loved. The pressure was so big that on January 30, 1828, he made a humiliating speech, accompanied by a bishop, where he publicly confessed these affairs, but guaranteed that he had done a Confession and promised to steer away from having romantic relationships with any other women.
Many people - and most contemporany historians - were skeptic of this. Even after this speech, he was still seen with his mistress around the Palace, and some people (Although backed by Conservative politicians) claimed that he had kissed one of the women he was having affairs with.
The Affairs Issue would permeate throughout the rest of Pedro I's reign and would do some damage to his image, even though he had made Brazil win a war against Argentina, conquered some new territories and was overseeing a process of land reform.
[1] Yes, I know that she died on 1826, but ITTL due to butterflies and Brazil being more successful, her death is delayed by one year

The process of land reform started in 1826 continued through 1828, with many government-owned lands being broken up and given to Lusophone (Portuguese or Brazilian) migrants, as Bonifácio intended.
Most of the land was located in the most distant regions, such as Mato Grosso, Cisplatine and the Mesoplatina. The process of land reform was slow but effective. By 1828, around 8 thousand farmers had settled in Mato Grosso, 12 thousand in Cisplatine and 20 thousand in Mesoplatina (The Brazilian government strongly encouraged the settlement of the latter regions, to guarantee a Lusophone majority that would be loyal to Brazil).
Many Independists of all parties feared such a plan, however.
They argued that including Portuguese people in those programs would mean that "the Portuguese menace would be right inside the territory. The Portuguese are not to be trusted, those Lusitanian farmers would just rebel and annex those regions into the tyrannical Portuguese Empire". José Bonifácio was skeptical of this, however, and argued that allowing Portuguese farmers to settle those regions would result in "the birth of children who are loyal to Brazil, but have a veneration for the great legacy left behind by the Portuguese Empire in this country". He spoke against "Lusophobe" tendencies among the general public and said that Brazil and Portugal should focus on establishing military and economic ties, to strengthem both empires.
The Independist movement by 1828 was a shell of what it once was. Although some of its concepts - Anti-Portuguese sentiment, feeling of a "defeat" in the Amazon region - were still accepted by the majority of the population, this did not mean that the people wanted another bloody war against Portugal [1]. Many veterans of the Brazilian War of Independence were still alive and there was a sense of "trauma" about the independence process.
The public was satisfied enough that Brazil kept Cisplatine and annexed more regions, so it did not wish for another war against a rival that was seen as more dangerous and brutal than the Argentines were. The Independists tried to stage many false-flag attacks in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Montevideu in order to try to force Pedro I into accepting a war against Portugal. This had a negative effect as a famous Italian-Brazilian journalist, Giovanni Baptista Líbero Badaró, revealed in a June 1828 edition of his Observatório Constitucional how the Independists were behind these attacks, making the public become even more antagonistic towards the movement.

Líbero Badaró

Although Badaró was very critical of Pedro I, he was an honest and integral man who would always try to tell the truth in his newspaper, even if a little biased.

 

[lusitano 1996]

Bonifacio is right portugal is not a threat , a war would be stupid , also if portuguese peaple are still imigrating to brazil that should in the future calm the tensions .
Brazil is receving other imigrants ? maybe german , swiss or spanish ?

 

[Taunay]

Bonifacio is right portugal is not a threat , a war would be stupid , also if portuguese peaple are still imigrating to brazil that should in the future calm the tensions .
Brazil is receving other imigrants ? maybe german , swiss or spanish ?

Still mostly Portuguese

 

[Aluma]

I feel that Bonifácio is being too pro portuguese here
Brazil shouldnt take lightly that Portugal just took the whole Amazon from them nor forget about it, plus settling portuguese immigrants near the frontier after that is a terrible idea as Brazil itself showed us with Acre and the US with Texas
However I'd say the best course is still peaceful coexistence and even an informal alliance to protect the lusophere, and all portuguese immigration outside of disputed territory should be welcomed

So overall its a good thing the independentists are being isolated but Bonifácio my man please tone it down

 

[Taunay]

I feel that Bonifácio is being too pro portuguese here
Brazil shouldnt take lightly that Portugal just took the whole Amazon from them nor forget about it, plus settling portuguese immigrants near the frontier after that is a terrible idea as Brazil itself showed us with Acre and the US with Texas
However I'd say the best course is still peaceful coexistence and even an informal alliance to protect the lusophere, and all portuguese immigration outside of disputed territory should be welcomed

So overall its a good thing the independentists are being isolated but Bonifácio my man please tone it down

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Aluma]

Loving the story!

 

[ToasterOven456]

I feel that Bonifácio is being too pro portuguese here
Brazil shouldnt take lightly that Portugal just took the whole Amazon from them nor forget about it, plus settling portuguese immigrants near the frontier after that is a terrible idea as Brazil itself showed us with Acre and the US with Texas
However I'd say the best course is still peaceful coexistence and even an informal alliance to protect the lusophere, and all portuguese immigration outside of disputed territory should be welcomed

So overall its a good thing the independentists are being isolated but Bonifácio my man please tone it down

The royal families still being friendly could help keep the peace, and through the story we will see the Portuguese and Brazilians work together on wars and stuff, I would not be surprised if Brazil helps Portugal with colonial projects, and vise versa with Portugal to Brazil

 

[ToasterOven456]

Loving the story!

great

 

[Taunay]

The royal families still being friendly could help keep the peace, and through the story we will see the Portuguese and Brazilians work together on wars and stuff, I would not be surprised if Brazil helps Portugal with colonial projects, and vise versa with Portugal to Brazil

True, this TL will be a Lusophone wank so both Portugal and Brazil will be benefited