The King who Declared Independence from Himself | The Life & Times of Pedro I

After over a year talking about Europe and the US, it's finally time to spice things up a little and break into the Southern hemisphere! The story of Brazil's independence is... unusual, to say the least. It's not too often the guy calling for independence from the big bad empire is part of the royal family. And then he and his successor are both weirdly magnanimous and respectful of the will of the people, I mean what gives, Brazil?

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Footnotes:

0:25 The game Pedro is playing with his sister (who in reality was seven years younger than him) is called the game of graces.

0:37 Yes, the First and Second Coalitions weren't actually part of the Napoleonic Wars, but Napoleon was in them and France won and it's a gross oversimplification.

0: 47 Rejected Princesses is a terrific website / book. One day I promise I'll cover someone from Africa!

2:13 I should clarify that Britain didn't officially support Brazil, but Brazil had hired a number of British mercenaries, including admiral Thomas Cochrane, pictured above.

2:32 He may have handed over the crown, but she was never actually "crowned" because no Portuguese monarch ever actually wore the crown after Joao IV gave it to the Virgin Mary.

Music:

0:00 Amor Maior - Higher Love by David Luong

0:03 Brazilian National Anthem (Instrumental)

0:06 Hidden Past by Kevin Macleod

0:14 Odeon by Ernesto Nazareth (thank you Benjamin Goldstein for identifying this!)

1:40 Pe de Vento from Suite Popular Brasileira by Edu Lobo, performed by the Sao Paulo Orchestra and Marin Alsop

2:38 Pe de Vento

3:00 still Pe de Vento

3:40 Spanish National Anthem

4:08 Pe de Vento again

4:16 Into the Forest by Aquaria