1834-42: England in presence of the Portuguese political evolution (some hypotheses for the revision of some current views)

Abstract

From the first dynasty on Portugal has kept privileged economic and political relations with England. The second Portuguese dynasty began with the marriage of D. João I (king John I) to D. Filipa de Lencastre (Philippa of Lancaster), a year after the singature of the Anglo-Portuguese treaty in Windsor (1386). The independance restauration in 1640 was due, in a large extent, to the aid of our secular ally. In 1808 the English troops disembarked in Portugal and commanded, in the military field, the resistance against the French domination up to the final expulsion of the occupants. General Beresford controled Portugal till 1820 and, later on, without the diplomatic and military English intervention, once more, it is not sure that we should succeed in defeating D. Miguel and restauring the constitutional regime in 1834. Of course the invoices for this alliance were coming regularly. 1642, 1653, 1660, 1662, 1703 and 1810 mark a series of alliance and trade treaties with England tending to institutionalize unequal exchange relations, what, more than English perfidy, shows a peripherie (or semiperipheric) position on the part of Portugal inside the European world-economy. Portugal lived under the guardianship of her oldest ally. This is not an easily contestable fact. Such a guardianship had an influence on the course of political events in Portugal according to the English economic interests - this is a commonplace with a certain amount of truth, as it is aknowledged by Portuguese and foreign historiography. Nevertheless one must balance this extremely summary synthesis of the modalities and priorities of the English intervention in Portugal. This is the target of the present article. The main source is the correspondence between the English ambassador in Lisbon, Lord Howard of Waiden, and the Foreign Office. The period under obsevation concerns the time between 1834 and 1842.