This article is about the specific polity Portuguese Brazil and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics
On the legal basis of the Treaty of Tordesillas that divided the world between Spain and Portugal the latter started the colonization of the western coast of South America around 1500, founding the Portuguese Colony of Brazil. It ceased to be a colony in 1815, when Portugal, Brazil and Algarve became an Union of Kingdoms. All ties to Portugal were severed in 1822 when Brazil became an empire.
Establishment
June 1494: The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Empire (Crown of Castile), along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was a succession crisis caused by the death of the King of Portugal without heirs. The conflict saw two main claimants to the Portuguese throne: António, Prior of Crato, proclaimed in several towns as King of Portugal, and his first cousin Philip II of Spain, who eventually succeeded in claiming the crown, reigning as Philip I of Portugal.
October 1580: Philip II of Spain succeeded in claiming the Portuguese crown, reigning as Philip I of Portugal.
Was a global conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Dutch Empire. The conflict primarily saw the Dutch companies invading Portuguese colonies in the Americas, Africa, and the East Indies.
2.1.Sugar War
Was the Dutch invasion of Portuguese Brazil during the Dutch-Portuguese War.
January 1631: In 1630 the Dutch captured Olinda and then Recife.
January 1636: Until 1635, the Dutch were unable to harvest sugar due to Portuguese guerrilla attacks, and were virtually confined to the walled perimeter of the cities. Eventually, the Dutch evicted the Portuguese with the assistance of a local landlord named Domingos Fernandes Calabar.
January 1642: The Dutch captured São Luís.
January 1643: The Dutch invasion began in 1624 with the conquest of the then capital of the State of Brazil, the city of São Salvador da Bahia.
May 1645: In 1625, a joint Spanish-Portuguese fleet led by Spanish Admiral Fadrique de Toledo and Portuguese General Diogo de Mendonça Furtado rapidly recaptured Salvador, the capital of Portuguese Brazil, from the Dutch who had previously seized control of the territory.
2.2.Pernambucan Insurrection
Was a revolt in the Dutch-occupied territories of Brazil.
August 1645: In 1645, most of Dutch Brazil revolted under the leadership of mulatto land-owner João Fernandes Vieira, who proclaimed himself loyal to the Portuguese Crown. WIC forces were defeated at the Battle of Tabocas, virtually confining the Dutch to the fortified urban perimeters of coastal cities, defended by contingents of German and Flemish mercenaries.
January 1646: The Dutch abandoned São Luís.
January 1655: The Second Battle of Guararapes, in 1649, marked the beginning of the end of Dutch occupation of Portuguese Brazil, until their final expulsion from Recife in 1654.
Was a revolution organized by the Portuguese nobility and bourgeoisie sixty years after the crowning of Philip I (Philip II of Spain), the first "dual monarch", that ended the Iberian Union.
November 1640: A revolution organized by the nobility and bourgeoisie on 1 December 1640, sixty years after the crowning of Philip I (Philip II of Spain), the first "dual monarch", ended the Iberian Union between Portugal and Spain.
The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Philip of Anjou and Charles of Austria, and their respective supporters. It was a global war, with fighting taking place in Europe, Asia, and America. At the end of the war, Philip II, who was the successor chosen by Charles II as a descendant of Charles' paternal half-sister Maria Theresa, became King of Spain and of its overseas empire. The Spanish possessions in Europe were partitioned between various European Monarchies.
March 1705: As a consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession, the governor of Buenos Aires, Valdes Incian, initiated the Siege of Colonia del Sacramento. The forces of the Spanish governor were commanded by Baltazar García Ros from 18 October 1704 until 14 March 1705, when the colonists were evacuated by Portuguese ships.
Was a global conflict that involved most of the European great powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. At the end of the war the main winner was Great Britain, that obtained territories in North America, the Caribbean and India, becoming the most powerful maritime and colonial of the European powers.
5.1.Fantastic War
Was a war between Spain and Portugal during the Seven Years' War that took place in the Iberian Peninsula and in South America.
January 1764: The Portuguese conquered most of the valley of Rio Negro, expelling the Spaniards from S. Gabriel and S. josé de Maribatanas (1763).
5.1.1.South America Theatre of War (Fantastic War)
Was the theatre of war in South America of the Fantastic war between Spain and Portugal.
April 1763: Santa Teresa conquered by spain.
5.2.Treaty of Paris (1763)
Was a treaty signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the Seven Years' War.
February 1763: Colonia do Sacramento was given back to Portugal.
February 1763: Treaty of Paris (1763): the forts of Santa Teresa and San Miguel, Santa Tecla, San Miguel, Santa Teresa and Rio Grande de São Pedro remained in Spanish hands.
Was a war between Spain and Portugal fought over the border of their overseas territories in South America.
March 1776: In 1776, Portuguese land forces led by the Marquis of Pombal pushed forward in the Rio Grande area, forcing the Spanish commander Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo to withdraw. This resulted in the territory being ceded to Portuguese Brazil.
February 1777: Cevallos decided to attack the island of Santa Catarina on 23 February. When the Portuguese saw the formidable Spanish fleet disembark their troops, the garrison fled to the mainland without firing a shot.
June 1777: The city of Colonia de Sacramento capitulated on 3 June 1777 to Spanish forces led by General Pedro de Cevallos during the Spanish-Portuguese War. This marked the beginning of a period of Spanish military occupation in the region.
6.1.First Treaty of San Ildefonso
Was a treaty between Spain and Portugal that settled long-running territorial disputes between the two kingdoms' possessions in South America, primarily in the Río de la Plata region.
October 1777: On 24 February 1777 King Joseph I died and his daughter and successor Maria I dismissed Pombal and concluded on 1 October the First Treaty of San Ildefonso with Spain. Spain returned the island of Santa Catarina to Portugal.
October 1777: In 1777, Portugal ceded Colonia del Sacramento to Spain as part of the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
October 1777: Misiones Orientales conquered by spain.
Was a war between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal over the border between Spanish and Portuguese South America.
February 1777: The territory of São José do Norte and S. Pedro do Sul was retaken by the Portuguese from the Spanish during the "deaf war" (1763-1777). This conflict was part of the larger struggle between Portugal and Spain over control of territories in South America.
Was a treaty between Spain and Portugal where the latter regained the Misiones Orientales region.
June 1801: In 1801, Portugal regained control of the Misiones Orientales in the Treaty of Badajoz, signed between Portugal and Spain. The treaty was negotiated by Spanish Prime Minister Manuel de Godoy and Portuguese diplomat Domingos de Sousa Coutinho.
Paraguay declared independence from Spain in 1811 after the creation of a local ruling Junta.
May 1811: Paraguay declared independence after overthrowing local Spanish rule on May 14, 1811.
Were a series of independence wars by the Spanish colonies in America that started after the French occupation of mainland Spain during the Napoleonic Wars.
10.1.Argentine War of Indipendence
Was the independence war of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (later Argentina) against Spanish rule.
10.1.1.Banda Oriental Campaign
Was an argentine military campaign in the Banda Oriental region (the South American territories east of the Uruguay River) during the Argentine War of Indipendence.
10.1.1.1.Portuguese Invasion of Banda Oriental
Was a Portuguese invasion of the Banda Oriental region during the Argentine War of Independence.
September 1812: The government of Buenos Aires ordered Artigas to return to his camp on the Ayuí stream after the signing, on March 26, of the Rademaker-Herrera Treaty, which determined the return of Portuguese troops to Brazil. Once again, Souza did not recognize the agreement, but after a series of clashes he received the order to withdraw from the Banda Oriental by King John VI, an order which he finally carried out on June 13. A few days later, the commander of the Portuguese-occupied portion of Misiones, Francisco das Chagas Santos, attempted to attack La Cruz, which was defended by Corrientes' forces, but withdrew after Galván informed him that hostilities had ceased. On September 13, the armistice was ratified, despite Vigodet's attempts to prevent its application. However, the Portuguese did not return to the pre-invasion borders, maintaining control of the current municipalities of Uruguaiana, Quaraí, Santana do Livramento and Alegrete, and part of those of Rosário do Sul, Dom Pedrito and Bagé.
April 1500: The Portuguese discover the southern coast of present-day Bahia, was seen.
August 1501: A Portuguese fleet reached what is now the San Roque cable (Rio Grande do Norte) and planted the landmark oldest possession of Brazil.
November 1501: The Portuguese arrived at Todos-os-Santos Bay.
December 1501: The Portuguese establish São Tomé Cape in Brazil.
January 1502: On January 1, 1502, Portuguese explorers Gaspar de Lemos and Gonçalo Coelho arrived at Guanabara Bay, which was later named Rio de Janeiro. They claimed the territory for Portuguese Brazil, marking the beginning of Portuguese colonization in the region.
January 1502: On Kings Day in 1502, Portuguese explorers led by Gaspar de Lemos moved to the bay named Angra dos Reis in present-day Brazil, claiming the territory for Portuguese Brazil.
January 1503: In 1502, Portuguese explorers Gaspar de Lemos and Américo Vespúcio discovered the mouth of the São Francisco River and Cabo Frio in present-day Brazil, further expanding Portuguese territory in the region.
August 1503: Fernando de Noronha island was discovered on August 10, 1503, by a Portuguese expedition, organized and financed by a private commercial consortium headed by the Lisbon merchant Fernão de Loronha. The expedition was under the overall command of captain Gonçalo Coelho and carried the Italian adventurer Amerigo Vespucci aboard, who wrote an account of it.
January 1531: Martim Afonso de Sousa was a Portuguese nobleman and explorer who led the expedition to Brazil in 1530. São Vicente was one of the first colonial villages established by the Portuguese in Brazil as part of their efforts to secure the territory and expel the French.
January 1532: Expansion of Brazil by 1531.
January 1556: Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon founded Fort Coligny in nowadays Rio de Janeiro, in what constituted the so-called France Antarctique historical episode.
March 1560: The fortress fell and was destroyed on March 17, 1560 under the siege of Portugal's navy and troops under the command of Mem de Sá, third Governor-General of Brazil. Villegaignon had already returned to France, in 1558.
May 1604: In 1604, the English explorer Captain Charles Leigh attempted to establish the settlement of Oyapoc in French Guiana, at the mouth of the Oyapock river. The territory was later ceded to the French, leading to the abandonment of the English settlement.
January 1606: The Fernando de Noronha archipelago was occupied by the Dutch in the 17th century.
January 1606: Palmares, or Quilombo dos Palmares, was a quilombo, a community of escaped slaves and others, in colonial Brazil that developed from 1605.
January 1611: Macapá was claimed by Portuguese Brazil.
January 1616: The Portuguese mustered an army in the state of Pernambuco, which drove out the French settlers in 1615, less than four years after their arrival.
January 1655: By 1654 the Portuguese controlled the entire coast of modern-day Brazil.
January 1680: The New Colony of Sacramento (Nova Colónia do Sacramento) was founded by the Portuguese in 1680, led by Manuel Lobo. It was located in present-day Uruguay and later became part of Portuguese Brazil after a treaty with the Spanish.
August 1680: Garro, a Portuguese governor, sent a force of 3,400 men led by Antonio de Vera Mujica to capture Colonia del Sacramento from the Spanish on the night of 6-7 August 1680.
January 1682: The 1681 Treaty of Lisbon, negotiated by Spanish King Charles II and Portuguese King Afonso VI, returned Colonia del Sacramento to Portugal .
January 1695: Bandeirantes destroyed Quilombo dos Palmares.
February 1718: The colony of Colonia del Sacramento was originally founded by the Portuguese in 1680 but was later captured by the Spanish. In 1718, as part of the Treaty of Utrecht, the territory was officially returned to Portugal. Manuel Gomes Barbosa was the Portuguese official who took possession of the colony at that time.
January 1738: In 1737, the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha was taken over by the Portuguese due to its strategic location. It was then attached to the captaincy of Pernambuco, a province in Portuguese Brazil.
January 1750: The conflicts over the Southern colonial frontiers led to the signing of the Treaty of Madrid (1750), in which Spain and Portugal agreed to a considerable Southwestward expansion of colonial Brazil. According to the treaty, Colonia de Sacramento was to be given to Spain in exchange for the territories of São Miguel das Missões, a region occupied by Jesuit missions dedicated to evangelizing the Guaraní natives.
January 1755: Expansion of Brazil by 1754.
January 1791: Expansion of Brazil by 1790.
January 1791: By 1790, the Spanish Empire in America had expanded further inland in both South and North America, acquired the Galápagos Islands, and controlled California as well as parts of Oregon. Southern Argentina was only nominally under Spanish rule.
January 1809: Portuguese occupation of Cisplatina (Uruguay).
January 1811: The Rademaker-Herrera agreement, strongly desired by the British ambassador Lord Strangford, forced the invading Portuguese army to return to the Brazilian borders.
December 1815: The colony of Brazil was elevated to the rank of kingdom, and the kingdoms of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve were united with a law dated December 16, 1815, in the context of the Congress of Vienna.
Disestablishment
December 1815: The colony of Brazil was elevated to the rank of kingdom, and the kingdoms of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve were united with a law dated December 16, 1815, in the context of the Congress of Vienna.
Selected Sources
Fernández Álvarez, M. (1998): Felipe II y su tiempo, cuarta edición, p. 523
Marley, D. (2008): Wars of the Americas: a chronology of armed conflict in the New World, 1492 to the present, vol. II, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2008, p. 449 and p. 450
de Oliveira Marques , A. H. R.(1972): History of Portugal, Columbia University Press, p. 322-325
Portuguese Brazil
