Pedro I
Emperor Pedro I (a.k.a. The Liberator)
Pedro I was the first Emperor of Brazil. He was originally the heir apparent for his father, King John VI of Portugal. With the invasion of Portugal by Napoleon, the royal family escaped to their holdings in Brazil. When the government relocated back to Lisbon, John VI named Pedro as regent of Brazil in 1821. In 1822, Pedro I announced the independence of Brazil with himself as constitutional emperor.
King Augustus II of America recognized the independence of Brazil in 1823, seeking to expand spherical influences in the Americas from European influence. To solidify an alliance, Pedro I organized the marriage of his sister, Ana de Jesus to the Crown Prince William. The alliance was negotiated and agreed upon in 1825 with the royal marriage.
In 1831, Pedro attempted to return to Portugal to defend his daughter's claim to the throne from his brother. However, his signing of the Continental Ordinance, along with pressure from the other powers in the Americas, prevented him from doing so. Instead, he brought his daughter to Brazil, and reinstated a liberal constitution to the Empire, appointing Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva as the first Prime Minister. He would reign until 1848, when he abdicated in favor of his son, Pedro II. He lived the remainder of his days in self appointed exile in the Caribbean, passing away in 1856. One of his final acts was overseeing the annexation of Santa Cruz during the partitioning of the Charcas region in 1846.
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