The «cause» of D. Maria II (1826-1834)

Abstract

From 1828 to 1834, the «cause» of D. Maria II, or liberal cause, the triumph of which we have, a posteriori, got used to taking for granted, lay dormant or was on the verge of limping to a halt. The European powers, including Britain, refused it diplomatic help, or else openly opposed it. In 1830 D. Pedro IV, his hands tied by Brazilian politics, practically gave up fighting for his daughter's rights, and implicitly revoked the Constitutional Charter. Up to mid-1831 the «cause» was deemed to be lost, and in August of that year, D. Pedro, now already in Europe, was still hesitant about what path to pursue. In August 1832, after the entry into Porto, he did not retreat to Terceira only because of the providential siege by the miguelistas. In March 1833, given the military impasse in Porto, Britain came closer than ever before to recognizing D. Miguel. In June 1833, the «expedição dos vapores» (steamship expedition), planned without D. Pedro, saved what was by then a moribund «cause».