Pedro I founded an empire in Brazil, then fought for his daughter's crown in Portugal
A Portuguese prince who arrived in Rio as a nine-year-old refugee from Napoleon ended up breaking Brazil away from his own father's kingdom. Pedro I ruled the new empire for nine years, composed its independence anthem, gave up two thrones, and died at thirty-five after winning a civil war in Portugal.
Pedro was born at the Queluz Royal Palace near Lisbon on 12 October 1798, the fourth child of the future John VI and Carlota Joaquina, a Spanish princess who plotted against her husband. His parents lived apart, so he grew up with his grandmother, Queen Maria I. When a French army sent by Napoleon neared Lisbon in November 1807, the royal family sailed for Brazil, landing in Rio de Janeiro in March 1808. On the crossing the boy read the Aeneid and learned navigation from the crew.
Schooling never held him. He studied mathematics, logic and history and handled Latin, French and some English and German, yet he preferred breaking horses, carving furniture and making music. Under Marcos Portugal he became a capable composer and played piano, flute and guitar. Impulsive and restless, he wore plain cotton clothes, chatted with strangers in the street and chased women, though he rarely drank. In 1817 he married Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria; they had seven children, among them the future Maria II of Portugal and Pedro II of Brazil.
The Liberal Revolution of 1820 pulled John VI home in April 1821, and Pedro stayed behind as regent. An admirer of Voltaire and Benjamin Constant, he sided with Brazilians angry at Lisbon's plans to cut their autonomy, declaring independence on 7 September 1822. Acclaimed emperor that October, he had defeated every loyalist army by March 1824.
Trouble piled up. The Cisplatine War cost Brazil the province of Cisplatina in 1828; his affair with Domitila de Castro caused scandal; and parliament fought him over who should choose ministers. In 1826 he briefly became king of Portugal as Pedro IV, then abdicated for Maria, only to see his brother Miguel seize her throne. He gave up Brazil on 7 April 1831 in favour of his young son, invaded Portugal in July 1832 and helped the liberals win before tuberculosis killed him in September 1834.
Source: Pedro I of Brazil
