Confederation of the Equator

Flag of the Confederation of the Equator
Location map
Map of the former Brazilian Empire.
Capital	Recife
Created	July 2, 1824
Dissolved	November 9, 1824

The Confederation of the Equator, (Portuguese, Confederação do Equador) was a short lived state established in the northeastern region of Brazil during that nation's struggle of independence against Portugal. The sucession movement was led by wealthy landowners who opposed early reforms by the nation's first leader, Emperor Pedro I. Pernambuco and Ceará were the first of five Northeastern provinces to succeed. ^[1] A PNG image with an 8-bit transparency layer (top), overlayed onto a chequered background (bottom). ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Boa Viagem district. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... ... Brazilian War of Independence in 1821-1825 was fought between colonial Brazil and Portugal. ... Pedro I can refer to a number of monarchs: Pedro I of Brazil (1798-1834) Peter I of Castile (1334-1369) Peter I of Portugal (1320-1367) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Flag of Pernambuco See other Brazilian States Capital Recife Largest City Recife Area 98,281 km² Population   - Total   - Density 7,918,344 80. ... Flag of Ceará See other Brazilian States Capital Fortaleza Largest City Fortaleza Area 148,016 km² Population   - Total   - Density 6,500,000 43. ...

Confederation was dissolved after being crushed by forces under Thomas Cochrane. ^[2] Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald (14 December 1775–October 31, 1860) was a politician and naval adventurer. ...

Background of conflict

The rebellion in the Northeast followed a similar uprising in Pernambuco only five years earlier.

The main roots of the conflict may be drawn from Pedro's dissolution of the Constituent Assembly that he had convened because he believed that body was endangering liberty. As assembly members, his advisers, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva and Dom Pedro's brothers, had written a draft constitution that would have limited the monarch by making him equal to the legislature and judiciary, similar to the president of the United States. They wanted the emperor to push the draft through without discussion, which Pedro refused to do. Troops surrounded the assembly as he ordered it dissolved. He then produced a constitution modeled on that of Portugal (1822) and France (1814). It specified indirect elections and created the usual three branches of government but also added a fourth, the moderating power, to be held by the emperor. The moderating power would give the emperor authority to name senators and judges and to break deadlocks by summoning and dismissing parliaments and cabinets. He also had treaty-making and treaty-ratifying power. Pedro's constitution was more liberal than the assembly's in its religious toleration and definition of individual and property rights, but less so in its concentration of power in the emperor.^[3] A constituent assembly is a body elected with the purpose of drafting, and in some cases, adopting a constitution. ... José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva (June 13, 1763 – April 6, 1838), Brazilian statesman and naturalist, was born at Santos, São Paulo. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...

Aftermath

Pedro I sent troops to the Northeast to quell the rebellion, with all three provinces falling by September of that year. The state of Ceará managed to survive until November, and the last stronghold of the Confederation in the Sertão was the site of the final resisting leaders of the fallen nation.^[4] In Brazil, the sertão (meaning backland in Portuguese) refers to the semi-arid region comprising parts of the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Piauí. The plural of sertão is sertões. ...

Several rebels were condemned by a military tribunal to death. One notable execution was that of Frei Caneca an intellectual and religious mentor supporting the cause of the Confederation, in which some soldiers refused to fire. After briefly escaping, he was eventually executed in 1825. ^[5] Lagoa dos Gatos is a town and head of municipality in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. ...

Flag of the Confederation

Based on contemporary accounts, the flag had a sky-blue field with the coat of arms of the separatist republic. The coat of arms consisted of a square yellow "shield" surrounded by branches of sugar cane and cotton. On the square was a white circle with the words "Religião, Independência, União, Liberdade" (religion, independence, union, liberty) separated by square bundles of rods, presumably the lictor's rods of the Roman fasces. On the center of the white circle was a smaller blue circle divided by a horizontal white stripe, and thereon a red cross bottony, which Ribeiro says the report incorrectly described as "floretty." Four white stars flanked the lower arm of the cross, two above the white stripe and two below. Nine more white stars were arranged in a semicircle at the bottom of the blue circle. Issuing from the top of the yellow square was a red staff ending in a hand with the eye of Providence on the palm, encircled by six more white stars. Finally, at the top of the flag, was a white scroll with the inscription Confederação (confederation). ^[6]

See also

• Brazil
• History of Brazil
• Military history of Brazil
• Pedro I of Brazil

The history of Brazil begins with the arrival of the first Native Americans, over 8,000 years ago, into the present territory of that nation. ... Pedro I of Brazil (pron. ...

References

June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Brief History of the Confederation (in Portuguese)
• Brief Description of the Confederation