Editing List of presidents of Brazil (section)

==Brazil before the Proclamation of the Republic==
Brazil had two monarchs during the time of the [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|United Kingdom with Portugal]]: [[Maria I of Portugal|Maria I]] (1815–1816) and [[John VI of Portugal|John VI]] (1816–1822). When this Kingdom was created, queen Maria I was already considered incapable due to mental illness and the [[Portuguese Empire]] was ruled by prince John, later king John VI, as regent. As an independent nation, Brazil had two monarchs, emperors [[Pedro I of Brazil|Pedro I]] (1822–1831) and [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II]] (1831–1889). The second woman to govern Brazil, after Maria I, was [[Maria Leopoldina of Austria|Leopoldina of Austria]], who acted as regent in 1822 and had a great influence on Brazil's independence process, having been responsible for signing the decree that separated Brazil from Portugal.

Having proclaimed independence of the [[Kingdom of Brazil]] from Portugal in 1822, prince Pedro, the son of king John VI, was acclaimed the first [[List of monarchs of Brazil|Emperor of Brazil]] on 12 October 1822. After [[Abdication of Pedro I of Brazil|abdicating the throne]], on 7 April 1831, he was succeeded by his son Pedro de Alcântara, who reigned as Pedro II of Brazil. The third woman to rule Brazil was princess [[Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil|Isabel]], heir presumptive to the throne, who acted as regent of Brazil in various periods (1870–1871, 1876–1877 and 1887–1888) while her father, emperor Pedro II, performed foreign visits. During her last regency she sanctioned, on 13 May 1888, the [[Lei Áurea|Golden Law]] (Imperial Law No. 3,353), which abolished [[slavery in Brazil]]. Pedro II was [[Proclamation of the Republic (Brazil)|deposed]] along with the 74-year-old monarchy on 15 November 1889 in a bloodless and unpopular military coup d'état.