Anna Ternova

26 August 2016
From Monarchy to Coffee Republic
In March of 1808, the Portuguese royal family set up court in what is now the historic
heart of Rio de Janeiro. However, they were soon given an ultimatum to either close their ports
to Britain or face invasion after being dragged into a worldwide conflict unleashed by Napoleon
Bonaparte. The King hesitated, but as the French army crossed Portugals border, he realized that
in order to save the monarchy, the court must move to Brazilwhich immediately became the
center of the Portuguese empire. After the war ended, the crown in Brazil encouraged European
elites to visit the country and with additional other steps, hoped to weaken ties with the country
of Portugal; this eventually led to Brazils national independence. The crown opted to stay in
Brazil after peace had returned to Europe, but after a demand for the return of the King back to
Portugal, he complied and left his son Pedro in charge. Liberals wanted the government in Rio
dismantled; however, Pedro defied this order, proclaimed himself emperor, and declared Brazil
to be an independent first-class state. Over time, Brazil achieved decent political and economic
stability, and remained united while the rest of Spanish America splintered into many separate
republics. Pedro eventually abdicated in favor of his young son, Pedro II (who would eventually
end up ruling for half a century), and returned to Portugal.
Political unrest unraveled once more in the country between conservatives and liberals.
The resulting social conflict weakened the economy, as did the difficulty and cost of transporting
goods around the country due to the slow production of railwayswhich many believed was the
only way that Brazil could move forward. However, it was moving forward on the path towards
the abolition of slavery. Laws were passed and even though the trade continued underground, the
very conservative government kept pushing severely with the law until the trade quickly came to
a halt. By the end of the 1800s the Golden Law declared slavery in Brazil extinct. Britains
wishes for the abolition were finally granted and so, laid a railway line in the country due to the
increasing production of and demand for coffee.
Brazil officially became a federal republic after a war against Paraguay weakened and
eventually ended the monarchy. The country began to seek a modern identity for itself; a
modernist movement initiated the creation of a Brazilian intelligentsia which took on a new,
nationalist view of the countrys problems. Modernism not only influenced art, but also
architecture, music, and literature. Above all, it influenced Brazilian thinking on the racial
questionthat racial interbreeding was a positive asset and should be encouraged with the flood
of European immigrants coming in. Although many revolutionary changes were made, more
substantial things were left relatively untouched; this included the percentage of illiterate people,
and the ability to create a strong and organized political force.

Reflection
Much like Brazil, the USA was colonized by another country before gaining its
independence. It was under the control of Britain until the signing of the Declaration of
Independence. The difference, however, is that Britain did not relocate its government over to
Americawhich is unfortunately why we do not have British accentsand eventually America
gained its freedom. The modernist movement too, had its own similarities and differences in
either country. In both areas, the age of modernism began in the 1900s. It was fueled by
immigrants, especially from Europe, as they added in their own diverse cultural aspects. If you
look up any paintings created during this time, you would notice that American illustrations
focused more on abstract objects and designs (Bruce, 1929-30), whereas Brazilian illustrations
involved more portraits of people and of nature (Segall, 1927). This may be because in America,
the Industrial Revolution happened a few decades prior, yet in Brazil, most of the country was
still in farming and plantation mode.
In addition, Oscar Niemeyer is one of Brazils most significant architects of the modern
era. He is responsible for designing many churches, museums, and government buildings.
Although Oscars designs are now almost a century old, they appear very futuristic, full of curvy
edges, and almost dystopian-like aspects (Payne, 2009). Cass Gilbert was a prominent American
architect. One of New Yorks earliest skyscrapers (and the worlds tallest building until 1930)
(World Digital Library, 1910) owes it to him for its immaculate design and height. This building
essentially created a snowball effect that would later establish New York City as having the most
skyscrapers in the world (now, second to Hong Kong) (WorldAtlas, 2016). Although big cities in
Brazil, such as Rio, have also adapted skyscrapers into their skylines, the difference between the
two cities is clearly seen, due especially to the variation in landscapes and geography around the
areas. Every country and every place has obvious outside influences in all that they portray,
especially things mentioned above, like architecture, art, etc.; but every country takes these
influences, and makes them into something that is independent and symbolic to them and their
culture. It is an amazing thing when people can be inspired with new ideas from around the
world, and yet still create something completely identifiable to their country.

References
Bruce, P. H. (1929-30). Painting [Painting found in Museum of Modern Art, New York].
*Note: This is a single example of a painting in America.
Segall, L. (1927). Banana Grove (Bananal) [Painting found in Pinacoteca, Sao Paulo, Brazil].
*Note: This is a single example of a painting in Brazil.
Payne, S. (2009). Brazilian Architect Oscar Niemeyer Turns 102. Retrieved September 06, 2016,
from http://www.thecoolist.com/brazilian-architect-oscar-niemeyer-turns-102-today/
World Digital Library, (1910). Study for Woolworth Building, New York. Retrieved September
06, 2016, from https://www.wdl.org/en/item/11376/
WorldAtlas, (2016). Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in the World. Retrieved September 07,
2016, from http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/cities-with-the-most-skyscrapers-in-the
world.html