A The Brazilian Revolution: Brazil’s independence as a liberal and national revolution (1821-1845)

Abstract

The article discusses the Independence of Brazil as a liberal revolution. Independence is seen as revolutionary because it not only put an end to the dependence of the inhabitants of Brazil on Portugal but also brought about the replacement of monarchical absolutism and the legal status of the class-based society with a constitutional and representative monarchy. The difficulty in identifying Brazilian Independence as a liberal revolution stems from the fact that Brazilian liberalism was not considered "truly liberal" since it did not eradicate authoritarianism, slavery, clientelism, and patrimonialism. The article also addresses the Brazilian Independence in its dual revolutionary dimension, the liberal and the national.