Editing John VI of Portugal (section)

==Regency==
[[File:Prince John of Portugal.jpg|thumb|The Prince Regent of Portugal, [[Dom (title)|Dom]] John, with a bust of his mother, Dona [[Maria I of Portugal|Maria I]] {{nobr|([[Domingos Sequeira|Sequeira]], 1802)}}]]
Meanwhile, the Queen showed increasing signs of mental instability.  As a result, of her illness, the queen was deemed unfit to rule and John essentially took control of the country. John was reluctant to take the reins of power, rejecting the idea of a formal [[regency]].  This opened the way for elements of the nobility to form a ''de facto'' government via a Council. Rumors circulated that John exhibited symptoms of the same insanity, and that he might be prevented from ruling. According to longstanding laws that guided the institution of regency, were the regent to die or become incapable for any reason, and having children of less than fourteen years (which was John's situation at the time), government would be exercised by the guardians of those children or, if guardians had not been formally named, by the wife of the regent. In John's case, that would have been a Spanish infanta. Fear, suspicion and intrigue engulfed the entire institutional framework of the nation.<ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 59–63</ref>

At the same time, the [[French Revolution]] perplexed and horrified the reigning houses of Europe. In January 1793, the revolutionaries executed their former king [[Louis XVI]], precipitating an international response. On 15 July, Portugal signed a treaty with Spain, and on 26 September allied itself with Great Britain. Both treaties pledged mutual aid against revolutionary France and brought six thousand Portuguese soldiers into the [[War of the Pyrenees]] (1793–1795), a campaign that began with an advance to [[Roussillon]] in France and ended in defeat with the French conquest of northeastern Spain. This created a delicate diplomatic problem, as Portugal could not make peace with France without damaging an alliance with Britain that involved several overseas interests. The Portuguese thus sought a neutrality that proved fragile and tense.<ref>Strobel, Thomas. ''A "Guerra das Laranjas" e a "Questão de Olivença" num contexto internacional''. GRIN Verlag, 2008, pp. 3–4. In Portuguese.</ref><ref>Souza, Laura de Mello e. ''O sol e a sombra: política e administração na América portuguesa do século XVIII''. Companhia das Letras, 2006, p. 394 In Portuguese.</ref>

After the defeat, Spain abandoned its alliance with Portugal and allied with France under the [[Peace of Basel]]. With Britain too powerful for France to attack directly, France set its sights on Portugal.<ref name="Andrade"/> In 1799, John officially assumed the reins of government as [[prince regent]] in the name of his mother;<ref name="Dicionário">Amaral, Manuel. [http://www.arqnet.pt/dicionario/joao6.html "João VI"]. In: ''Portugal – Dicionário Histórico, Corográfico, Heráldico, Biográfico, Bibliográfico, Numismático e Artístico'', Volume III, 2000–2010, pp. 1051–1055. In Portuguese.</ref> that same year, [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] staged his ''[[coup d'état]]'' of [[18 Brumaire]] in France and coerced Spain into issuing an ultimatum to force the Portuguese to break with Great Britain and submit the country to the interests of Napoleon. With John's refusal, neutrality became unviable. Spain and France invaded in 1801, setting off the [[War of the Oranges]]; a defeated Portugal signed the [[Treaty of Badajoz (1801)|Treaty of Badajoz]] and the subsequent [[Treaty of Madrid (1801)|Treaty of Madrid]], under which it ceded territory to Spain, in particular [[Olivenza]], and made concessions to the French over certain colonial territories.<ref>{{cite book|contribution=War of the Oranges|title=Encyclopædia Britannica|year=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=António Pedro|last=Vicente|title=Guerra Peninsular: História de Portugal Guerras e Campanhas Militares|trans-title=Peninsular War: History of Portuguese Wars and Military Campaigns|year=2007|publisher=Academia Portuguesa da História/Quidnovi|location=Lisbon, Portugal|language=pt}}</ref> With conflicting interests among all the countries involved, the war was marked by ambiguous movements and secret agreements. Portugal, as the weakest player, could not avoid continued struggle.<ref name="Andrade">Andrade, Maria Ivone de Ornellas de. "O reino sob tormenta". In: Marques, João et alii. ''Estudos em homenagem a João Francisco Marques, Volume I''. Universidade do Porto, sd, pp. 137–144. In Portuguese.</ref> At the same time, John had to face an enemy at home. His wife, Princess Carlota Joaquina, loyal to Spanish interests, initiated an intrigue with the objective of deposing her husband and taking power herself. After this attempt failed in 1805, the Princess was exiled from court; she resided at [[Queluz National Palace|Queluz Palace]], while John took up residency at [[Mafra National Palace|Mafra Palace]].<ref name="Schwarcz">Schwarcz, Lília Moritz; Azevedo, Paulo Cesar de & Costa, Angela Marques da. ''A longa viagem da biblioteca dos reis: do terremoto de Lisboa à independência do Brasil''. Companhia das Letras, 2002, pp. 479–480. In Portuguese.</ref><ref name="Arquivo">[http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=730&sid=95&tpl=printerview ''Aclamação de d. João''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203183855/http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=730&sid=95&tpl=printerview |date= 3 February 2014 }}. Arquivo Nacional, 2003. In Portuguese.</ref> It was events like this that led to the Portuguese people questioning if John was capable of commanding the nation and whether he was as incapable of ruling as his mother was.

=== Flight to Brazil ===
{{main|Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil}}
[[File:Dom João, Príncipe Regente, passando revista às tropas na Azambuja - Domingos Sequeira, 1803.png|right|thumb|The Prince Regent reviewing the Troops at Azambuja {{nobr|([[Domingos Sequeira|Sequeira]], 1803)}}]]
John played a desperate game with France for time. For as long as he could, he pretended an apparent submission to France, to the point of suggesting to King [[George III of the United Kingdom]] the declaration of a fictitious state of war between their countries, but he did not obey the dictates of Napoleon's [[Continental System]] (a blockade against Great Britain). A new secret treaty with the British guaranteed him help in case of an eventual flight of the royal family. The accord greatly favored the British and preserved their influence over the country, as British merchants continued to make vast profits in trade with the Portuguese intercontinental empire. It fell to Portugal to choose between an alliance with France or with Britain, and the hesitancy to decide firmly placed Portugal at risk of war with both. In October 1807, news arrived that a French army was approaching, and on 16 November, a British squadron arrived in the port of [[Lisbon]] with a force of seven thousand men with orders either to escort the royal family to Brazil or, if the government surrendered to France, to attack and conquer the Portuguese capital. The court was divided between Francophiles and Anglophiles, and after anguished consideration under pressure from both sides, John decided to accept British protection and leave for Brazil.<ref name="Andrade"/><ref>Valuguera, Alfonso B. de Mendoza Y Gómez de. "Carlismo y miguelismo". In: Gómez, Hipólito de la Torre & Vicente, António Pedro. ''España y Portugal. Estudios de Historia Contemporánea''. Editorial Complutense, 1998, pp. 13–14. In Spanish.</ref><ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 174–176</ref>

The invading army led by [[Jean-Andoche Junot]] advanced with some difficulty, arriving at the gates of Lisbon only on 30 November 1807.<ref name="Schwarcz"/> By this time, the Prince Regent, accompanied by the entire royal family and a large following of nobles, state functionaries and servants, had already embarked, leaving the government under a regency with the recommendation that the army not engage in hostilities with the invader. The hasty departure during a rainstorm caused havoc in Lisbon as an astonished population could not believe that their prince had abandoned them.<ref>[http://multirio.rio.rj.gov.br/historia/modulo02/embarque.html ''O Embarque e a Viagem da Corte'']. Secretaria Municipal de Educação da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. In Portuguese.</ref><ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 185–186</ref> According to the account of José Acúrsio das Neves, the departure brought forth deep emotion on the part of the Prince Regent:

{{blockquote|He wanted to speak and could not; he wanted to move and, convulsed, did not succeed in taking a step; he walked over an abyss, and envisioned a future dark and as uncertain as the ocean to which he was about to deliver himself. Country, capital, kingdom, vassals, he was about to leave all of these suddenly, with little hope of setting eyes on them again, and all were thorns that pierced his heart.<ref>''"Queria falar e não podia; queria mover-se e, convulso, não acertava a dar um passo; caminhava sobre um abismo, e apresentava-se-lhe à imaginação um futuro tenebroso e tão incerto como o oceano a que ia entregar-se. Pátria, capital, reino, vassalos, tudo ia abandonar repentinamente, com poucas esperanças de tornar a pôr-lhes os olhos, e tudo eram espinhos que lhe atravessavam o coração."'' Pedreira e Costa, p. 186</ref>}}
[[File:Autor não identificado - Embarque da Família Real Portuguesa.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''The Embarkation of John VI and the Royal Family'' (1810)]]
To explain himself to the people, John ordered that posters be put up along the streets stating that his departure was unavoidable despite all efforts made to assure the integrity and peace of the Kingdom. The posters recommended that everyone remain calm, orderly and not resist the invaders, so that blood not be shed in vain. Because of the rush to depart, the Prince Regent was in a ship together with his mother and his sons Pedro, Prince of Beira (later Emperor Dom [[Pedro I of Brazil]] and King Dom Pedro IV of Portugal), and Miguel (later King Dom [[Miguel I]]). This was an imprudent decision given the dangers of a transatlantic voyage in that era, since it placed at risk the succession of the crown in case of shipwreck. Carlota Joaquina and her daughters were on two other ships.<ref>Gomes, pp. 64–70</ref> The number of people who embarked with John remains a matter of controversy; in the 19th century there was talk of up to 30 thousand emigrants;<ref>Bortoloti, Marcelo. [http://veja.abril.com.br/200607/p_114.shtml "Controvérsias na corte"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214143046/http://veja.abril.com.br/200607/p_114.shtml |date=14 February 2012 }}. In: ''Revista Veja'', Edição 2013, 20 June 2007. In Portuguese.</ref> more recent estimates vary between five hundred and fifteen thousand, the latter being close to the maximum capacity of the squadron of fifteen ships, including their crews. Still, the ships were overcrowded. According to Pedreira e Costa, taking into account all of the variables, the most likely numbers fall between four and seven thousand passengers plus the crews. Many families were separated, and even high officials failed to secure a place on the ships and were left behind. The voyage was not a tranquil one. Several ships were in precarious condition, and overcrowding created humiliating conditions for the nobility, the majority of whom had to sleep huddled in the open in the [[poop deck|poops]]. Hygienic conditions were bad, including an epidemic of head lice. Many had failed to bring changes of clothing. Several people fell ill. Supplies were scarce, causing rationing. The flotilla spent ten days nearly becalmed in the [[equatorial zone]] under a scorching heat that caused moods to turn quite sour. The flotilla also faced two storms and was eventually dispersed near [[Madeira]]. In the middle of the voyage, Prince John changed his plans and decided to head for [[Salvador, Bahia]], probably for political reasons. He wanted to please the inhabitants of the colony's first capital, which had given many signs of discontent with the loss of its old status. The ships carrying his wife and daughters held to the original destination of [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 186–194</ref><ref>Gomes, pp. 72–74; 82–100</ref>

===Colonial Transformation===
[[File:Salvador - BA (Sep 2024) 0149.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Monument to the Prince Regent, erected in 1815 in Salvador]]
On 22 January 1808, the Prince Regent's ship and the two others arrived in [[Baía de Todos os Santos]], Brazil. The streets of Salvador were deserted, because the governor, the Count of Ponte, preferred to await the prince's orders before permitting the people to receive him. Finding this attitude odd, John ordered that all could come as they wished.<ref>Gomes, p. 102</ref> However, to allow the nobility to compose themselves after such an arduous journey, the landing was postponed until the next day, when they were received joyfully amidst a procession, the ringing of bells and a celebration of a ''[[Te Deum]]'' at the [[Cathedral of Salvador]]. In the following days, John received all who wished to give homage, granting the ceremony of the ''beija-mão'' (the kissing of the monarch's hand) and conceding various mercies.<ref name="Pedreira e Costa, pp. 201-210">Pedreira e Costa, pp. 201–210</ref> Among the latter, he decreed the creation of a public lecture series on economics and a school of surgery,<ref>Lobo Neto, Francisco José da Silveira. [http://www.uff.br/trabalhonecessario/TN06%20LOBO%20NETO,%20F.J.S.memoria%20e%20documento.pdf "D. João VI e a educação brasileira: alguns documentos"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119074403/http://www.uff.br/trabalhonecessario/TN06%20LOBO%20NETO%2C%20F.J.S.memoria%20e%20documento.pdf |date=19 January 2012 }}. In: ''Trabalho Necessário'', ano 6, nº 6, 2008, s/p. In Portuguese.</ref> but his most decisive action at this moment was the Decree of Opening the Ports to Friendly Nations (''Decreto de Abertura dos Portos às Nações Amigas''), a measure of vast political and economic importance and the first of many that went to improve conditions in the colony. Britain, however, whose economy depended in great part on maritime commerce, and for whom the Portuguese and Brazilian monarchy was now something of a protectorate, was the most direct beneficiary.<ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 208–210</ref>

Salvador spent a month in commemorations of the presence of the court and tried to seduce the court into making it the new seat of the Kingdom. The residents offered to construct a luxurious palace as a home for the royal family, but John declined and continued his voyage, having already announced to various nations his intention to make his capital at Rio de Janeiro. His ship entered [[Guanabara Bay]] on 7 March, where he met his daughters and other members of his entourage whose ships had arrived earlier. On the 8th, the whole court finally disembarked to encounter a city adorned to receive them with nine days of uninterrupted celebrations.<ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 210–212</ref> A well-known chronicler of the era, Father Perereca, eyewitness to the arrival, while lamenting the news of the invasion of metropolitan Portugal, also intuited the significance of the arrival of the court on Brazilian soil:
[[File:A Chegada da Família de dom João VI ao Brasil.jpg|thumb|Allegory of the arrival of Prince John and his family in Brazil]]
{{blockquote|If so great were the motives of sorrow and distress, no less were the causes of comfort and pleasure: a new order of things was going to begin this part of the southern hemisphere. The design of the Empire of Brazil could already be considered in place, and eagerly wished the powerful hand of our lord the Prince Regent to cast the first stone of future greatness, prosperity and power of the new empire.<ref>"Se tão grandes eram os motivos de mágoa e aflição, não menores eram as causas de consolo e de prazer: uma nova ordem de coisas ia a principiar nesta parte do hemisfério austral. O império do Brasil já se considerava projetado, e ansiosamente suspirávamos pela poderosa mão do príncipe regente nosso senhor para lançar a primeira pedra da futura grandeza, prosperidade e poder de novo império". Gomes, p. 129</ref>}}

John helped change Brazil from an ordinary colony into a booming society.  This was done, in large part, to the establishment of a new government in the capital, Rio de Janeiro.  With a government, the essential apparatus of a sovereign state became inevitable: the senior civil, religious, and military officials, aristocrats and liberal professionals, skilled artisans, and public servants. For many scholars, the transfer of the court to Rio began the establishment of the modern Brazilian state and constituted Brazil's first step toward true independence.<ref>Mota, Carlos Guilherme. ''Viagem incompleta: a experiência brasileira. A grande transação''. Senac, 2000, pp. 453–454. In Portuguese</ref> While Brazil at this time remained formally and juridically a Portuguese colony, in the words of Caio Prado, Jr.

{{blockquote|"Establishing in Brazil the seat of a monarchy, the regent ''ipso facto'' abolished the [[colony|colonial]] regime under which the country had lived until then. All the characteristics of that [colonial] regime disappeared, the only remaining part of the colonial situation was to be under a foreign government. One after another, the old workings of colonial administration were abolished and replaced by those of a sovereign nation. Economic restrictions fell and thoughts of the country's interests moved to the front of government policy."<ref>''"Estabelecendo no Brasil a sede da monarquia, o regente aboliu ''ipso facto'' o regime de [[colônia]] em que o país até então vivera. Todos os caracteres de tal regime desaparecem, restando apenas a circunstância de continuar à frente de um governo estranho. São abolidas, uma atrás da outra, as velhas engrenagens da administração colonial, e substituídas por outras já de uma nação soberana. Caem as restrições econômicas e passam para um primeiro plano das cogitações políticas do governo os interesses do país."'' Mota, p. 455</ref>}}

But first it was necessary to provide accommodations for the newcomers, a difficult problem to resolve given the cramped proportions of the city of Rio at that time. In particular, there were few homes suitable for the nobility, especially in the case of the royal family, who were installed in the viceregal palace, known today as the [[Paço Imperial]] (Imperial Palace). Though large, it was comfortless and nothing like Portuguese palaces. As large as it was, it was not enough to accommodate everyone, so neighboring buildings were also requisitioned, such as the Carmelite Convent, the town hall, and even the jail. To meet the needs of other nobles, and to install new government offices, innumerable small residences were hastily expropriated, their proprietors arbitrarily ejected, at times violently in the face of resistance. Despite the efforts of Viceroy [[Marcos de Noronha e Brito, 8th Count of Arcos|Marcos de Noronha e Brito]] and of Joaquim José de Azevedo, the regent was still poorly accommodated. Merchant Elias Antônio Lopes offered his country house, the [[Quinta da Boa Vista]], a sumptuous villa in excellent location that immediately met with the prince's satisfaction. Renovations and expansion transformed this into the [[Paço de São Cristóvão]] ("Palace of Saint Christopher"). Carlota Joaquina, for her part, preferred to settle on a farm near the beach of [[Botafogo]], continuing her habit of living apart from her husband.<ref>Pedreira e Costa, pp. 214–216</ref>
[[File:Frühbeck-LargoPaço.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Largo do Carmo (now the site of Rio's [[Praça XV de Novembro]]) a few years after arrival of the court]]
The city, which at that time had about 70,000 inhabitants, saw itself transformed overnight. The additional populace, full of new requirements, imposed a new organization in the supply of food and other consumer goods, including luxury items. It took years for the Portuguese to settle in, causing years of chaos in the daily life of Rio; rents doubled, taxes rose, and food was in short supply, requisitioned by the imported nobility. This soon dispelled popular enthusiasm over the prince regent's arrival. The very shape of the city began to change, with the construction of innumerable new residences, villas and other buildings, and various improvements to services and infrastructure. Likewise, the presence of the court introduced new standards of etiquette, new fashions and new customs, including a new social stratification.<ref>Fernandes, Cláudia Alves & Fernandes Junior, Ricardo de Oliveira. "Dom João VI: arquiteto da emancipação brasileira". In: ''XXII Simpósio de História do Vale do Paraíba'', Associação Educacional Dom Bosco, Resende, 15–17 August 2008. pp. 36–38. In Portuguese.</ref><ref>Oliveira, Anelise Martinelli Borges. "Dom João VI no Rio de Janeiro: preparando o novo cenário". In: ''Revista História em Reflexão'': Vol. 2 n. 4 – UFGD – Dourados, July/December 2008. In Portuguese.</ref><ref>Lima, Carollina Carvalho Ramos de. "Viajantes estrangeiros na corte de Dom João". In: ''Anais do II Fórum de Artigos Multidisciplinares'', Uni-FACEF Centro Universitário de Franca, 5–9 May 2008, no pagination. In Portuguese.</ref><ref>Gomes, pp. 136–151</ref>

Among the customs, John continued in Brazil the ancient Portuguese ceremony of the ''beija-mão'', which he esteemed greatly and which fascinated the Brazilians and became part of their folklore.<ref>[http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=731&sid=95 ''Casa Real: Nascimento do Príncipe da Beira: Beija-mão''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607213702/http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=731&sid=95 |date= 7 June 2013 }}. O Arquivo Nacional e a História Brasileira. In Portuguese.</ref> He received his subjects daily, except for Sundays and holidays. The long lines waiting to pay their respects and receive favors were a mix of nobles and commoners. According to painter Henry L'Evêque, "the Prince, accompanied by a Secretary of State, a Chamberlain and some household officials, received all the petitions that were presented to him; listened attentively to all the complaints, all the requests of the applicants; consoled one, encouraged others.... The vulgarity of the manners, the familiarity of speech, the insistence of some, the prolixity of others, none of this bored him. He seemed to forget that he was their master, and remember only that he was their father."<ref>''"o Príncipe, acompanhado por um Secretário de Estado, um Camareiro e alguns oficiais de sua Casa, recebe todos os requerimentos que lhe são apresentados; escuta com atenção todas as queixas, todos os pedidos dos requerentes; consola uns, anima outros.... A vulgaridade das maneiras, a familiaridade da linguagem, a insistência de alguns, a prolixidade de outros, nada o enfada. Parece esquecer-se de que é senhor deles para se lembrar apenas de que é o seu pai".'' Carvalho, Marieta Pinheiro de. [http://bndigital.bn.br/redememoria/joaovi.html ''D. João VI: perfil do rei nos trópicos''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522065452/http://bndigital.bn.br/redememoria/joaovi.html |date=22 May 2011 }}. Rede Virtual da Memória Brasileira. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, 2008.</ref> [[Oliveira Lima]] wrote that he "never confused the faces or the pleas, and the applicants marveled at how well he know their lives, their families, even small incidents that had occurred in the past and which they could not believe had risen to the notice of the King."<ref>''"nunca confundia as fisionomias nem as súplicas, e maravilhava os requerentes com o conhecimento que denotava das suas vidas, das suas famílias, até de pequenos incidentes ocorridos em tempos passados e que eles mal podiam acreditar terem subido à ciência d'el-rei."'' Lima, Oliveira. Vol. II. p. 859</ref>
[[File:Beijamao.jpg|thumb|The ceremony of the ''[[beija-mão]]'' (hand-kissing) in John's Brazilian court, maintaining a custom of the Portuguese monarchs.]]
Throughout his stay in Brazil, John formalized the creation of a huge number of institutions and public services and boosted the economy, culture and other areas of national life. All these measures were taken principally because of the practical needs of administering a large empire in a territory previously lacking of these resources, because the predominant idea continued to be that Brazil would remain a colony, given that it was expected that the court would return to its old metropolis once the European political situation returned to normal. However, these advances became the basis for Brazil's future autonomy.<ref name="Loyola">Loyola, Leandro. [http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/0,,EDG81336-6014-506,00.html "A nova história de Dom João VI"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703153349/http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/0,,EDG81336-6014-506,00.html |date=3 July 2013 }}. In: ''Revista Época'', nº 506, 30 January 2008. In Portuguese.</ref><ref name="Bandeira"/> This is not to say that all was amenities and progress. A series of political crises began shortly after the Prince Regent's arrival with the [[invasion of Cayenne (1809)|invasion of Cayenne]] in [[French Guiana]] in 1809 in retaliation for the French invasion of Portugal,<ref>[http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=248&sid=48&tpl=printerview ''Caiena: mapa do comércio''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203060435/http://www.historiacolonial.arquivonacional.gov.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=248&sid=48&tpl=printerview |date= 3 December 2013 }}. O Arquivo Nacional e a História Luso-Brasileira, 26 November 2004. In Portuguese.</ref> serious economic problems, and an unfavorable trade agreement negotiated in 1810 with the British government, which in practice flooded the small internal market with useless trinkets, disadvantaged exports, and the creation of new national industries.<ref>Lima, Oliveira. [http://www.consciencia.org/relacoes-comerciais-do-brasil.os-tratados-de-1810-d.joao-vi-no-brasil-oliveira-lima ''D. João VI no Brasil – 1808–1821''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807015758/http://www.consciencia.org/relacoes-comerciais-do-brasil.os-tratados-de-1810-d.joao-vi-no-brasil-oliveira-lima |date=7 August 2011 }}. Vol. I. Rio de Janeiro: Typ. do Jornal do Commercio, de Rodrigues, 1908. Edição online</ref><ref>Gomes, pp. 186–190</ref> Laurentino Gomes writes that John granted more hereditary titles in his first eight years in Brazil than had been granted in the previous three hundred years of the Portuguese monarchy, not even counting more than five thousand insignia and commendations of the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Portugal|honorific orders of Portugal]].<ref>Gomes, pp. 169–177</ref><ref name="Lima, cap. XVIII"/>

When Napoleon was defeated in 1815, the European powers held the [[Congress of Vienna]] to reorganize the political map of the continent. Portugal participated in these negotiations, but given British overtures contrary to the interests of the [[House of Braganza]], Portugal's ambassador to the Congress, the [[Dukes of Palmela|Count of Palmela]], counseled the regent to remain in Brazil, as did the powerful [[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord|Prince Talleyrand]], in order to strengthen the ties between metropolis and colony, including the suggestion to elevate Brazil to the condition of a kingdom united to Portugal. The British representative to the Congress also ended up supporting the idea, which resulted in the effective foundation of the [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves]] on 16 December 1815, a juridical institution rapidly recognized by other nations.<ref name="Bandeira">Bandeira, Moniz. ''Casa da Torre de Garcia d'Avila''. Editora Record, 2000, pp. 423–425</ref>