Editing Pedro I of Brazil (section)

=== Independence or Death ===
[[File:Emperor Dom Pedro I 1822.png|thumb|left|alt=Painted head and shoulders portrait showing a young man with curly hair and mustachios who is wearing a formal black coat, high collar and cravat with a city scene in the distant background|Pedro at age 23 with the town of [[São Paulo]] in the background, August&nbsp;1822 by [[Simplício Rodrigues de Sá]]]]
At the outset of his regency, Pedro promulgated decrees that guaranteed personal and property rights. He also reduced government expenditure and taxes.{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|p=93}}{{sfn|Sousa 1972, Vol 1|pp=232–233}} Even the revolutionaries arrested in the Merchants' Exchange incident were set free.{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|p=96}} On 5 June 1821, army troops under Portuguese lieutenant general [[Jorge Avilez, 1st Count of Avilez|Jorge Avilez]] (later Count of Avilez) mutinied, demanding that Pedro should take an oath to uphold the Portuguese Constitution after it was enacted. The prince rode out alone to intervene with the mutineers. He calmly and resourcefully negotiated, winning the respect of the troops and succeeding in reducing the impact of their more unacceptable demands.{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=74}}{{sfn|Lustosa|2006|p=114}} The mutiny was a thinly veiled military coup d'état that sought to turn Pedro into a mere figurehead and transfer power to Avilez.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1988|p=74}},
* {{harvnb|Lustosa|2006|pp=113–114}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1950|pp=75–76}}.
</ref> The prince accepted the unsatisfactory outcome, but he also warned that it was the last time he would yield under pressure.{{sfn|Lustosa|2006|p=114}}{{sfn|Sousa 1972, Vol 1|p=242}}

The continuing crisis reached a point of no return when the ''Cortes'' dissolved the central government in Rio de Janeiro and ordered Pedro's return.{{sfn|Sousa 1972, Vol 1|p=264}}{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=81}} This was perceived by Brazilians as an attempt to subordinate their country again to Portugal—Brazil had not been a colony since 1815 and had the [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|status of a kingdom]].{{sfn|Sousa 1972, Vol 1|pp=264–265}}{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=82}} On 9 January 1822, Pedro was presented with a petition containing 8,000 signatures that begged him not to leave.{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=83}}{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|p=107}} He replied, "Since it is for the good of all and the general happiness of the Nation, I am willing. Tell the people that I am staying."<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1988|p=84}},
* {{harvnb|Macaulay|1986|p=107}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1950|p=82}}.
</ref> The date became known as the ''[[Dia do Fico]]''.{{sfn|Lustosa|2006|p=98}} Avilez again mutinied and tried to force Pedro's return to Portugal. This time the prince fought back, rallying the Brazilian troops (which had not joined the Portuguese in previous mutinies),{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=78}} militia units and armed civilians.{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=84}}{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|pp=109–110}} Outnumbered, Avilez surrendered and was expelled from Brazil along with his troops.{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|p=116}}{{sfn|Calmon|1950|p=85}}

During the next few months, Pedro attempted to maintain a semblance of unity with Portugal, but the final rupture was impending. Aided by an able minister, [[José Bonifácio de Andrada]], he searched for support outside Rio de Janeiro. The prince traveled to [[Minas Gerais]] in April and on to [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] in August. He was welcomed warmly in both Brazilian provinces, and the visits reinforced his authority.{{sfn|Barman|1988|pp=90–91, 96}}{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|pp=119, 122–123}} While returning from São Paulo, he received news sent on 7 September that the ''Cortes'' would not accept [[self-governance]] in Brazil and would punish all who disobeyed its orders.{{sfn|Macaulay|1986|p=124}} "Never one to eschew the most dramatic action on the immediate impulse", said Barman about the prince, he "required no more time for decision than the reading of the letters demanded."{{sfn|Barman|1988|p=96}} Pedro mounted his bay mare{{efn-ua|Of the two eyewitness accounts of 7 September 1822 that mention Prince Dom Pedro's mount, that of Father Belquior Pinheiro de Oliveira on 7 September 1826 and that of Manuel Marcondes de Oliveira e Melo (later Baron of Pindamonhangaba) on 14 April 1862, both say that it was a ''besta baia'' (bay beast) {{harv|Costa 1972, Vol 295|pp=74, 80}}. In a work published in 1853 and based on an interview with another eyewitness, Colonel Antônio Leite Pereira da Gama Lobo, historian Paulo Antônio do Vale said that it was a "''zaino''" ([[bay horse]]) {{harv|Costa 1972, Vol 295|pp=75, 80}}. The words used, "bay beast" and "bay horse", are at first glance, both similar and confusingly vague. In Portuguese, as in English, a beast is any non-human animal especially a large four-footed mammal. However, formerly in Brazil beast also meant "[[mare]]" (a female horse) as may be seen in dictionaries published in 1946 {{harv|Freira|1946|p=1022}} and 1968 {{harv|Carvalho|1968|p=158}}, although this usage has since been discontinued except in Brazil's [[Northeast Region, Brazil|northeast]] and [[North Region, Brazil|northern]] regions {{harv|Houaiss|Villar|2009|p=281}}. The use of ''besta'' to refer to a mare is still in use in Portugal {{harv|Dicionários Editora|1997|p=205}}. Thus, the description of a "bay horse" with non-defined sex and "bay beast (mare)" do in fact coincide. Two of Pedro's biographers, [[Pedro Calmon]] {{harv|Calmon|1975|p=97}} and [[Neill W. Macaulay, Jr.|Neill Macaulay]] {{harv|Macaulay|1986|p=125}} have identified his horse as a bay mare. Pedro, who was an outstanding horseman and making an average of 108&nbsp;kilometers per day, was able to ride this animal from the city of São Paulo back to the capital of Rio de Janeiro in just five days, leaving his guard and his entourage far behind {{harv|Costa 1972, Vol 295|p=131}}. Francisco Gomes da Silva, "the Buffoon", the second person to arrive, lagged behind the Prince by some eight hours {{harv|Costa 1972, Vol 295|p=133}}.}} and, in front of his entourage and his Guard of Honor, said: "Friends, the Portuguese ''Cortes'' wished to enslave and persecute us. As of today our bonds are ended. By my blood, by my honor, by my God, I swear to bring about the independence of Brazil. Brazilians, let our watchword from this day forth be 'Independence or Death!{{' "}}<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1988|p=96}},
* {{harvnb|Sousa 1972, Vol 2|p=31}},
* {{harvnb|Macaulay|1986|p=125}}.
</ref>