Portuguese Royal Court Flees to Brazil
As Napoleon's troops marched on Lisbon in November 1807, the entire Portuguese royal court—some 15,000 people—embarked on a British-escorted fleet and sailed to Brazil, arriving in Rio de Janeiro in March 1808. João VI effectively transferred the capital of the Portuguese Empire to the Americas, making Rio de Janeiro a full-scale imperial capital. He opened Brazilian ports to friendly nations, ended colonial trade restrictions, established banks, schools, and printing presses, and raised Brazil to the status of a kingdom equal to Portugal in 1815. The episode transformed Brazil's relationship to Portugal and made independence in 1822 relatively straightforward.
- Year: 1807 CE
- Category: Political
