In the early hours of February 26, 1821, Rio de Janeiro woke up to the sound of artillery. A crowd made up of soldiers — under the command of Lieutenant General Jorge de Avilez Zuzarte de Sousa Tavares — “well supplied with gunpowder and shot, lit fuses at the ready.” Along with a thousand other people “of all classes of this Capital,” who mobilized in the Largo do Rossio (present-day Praça Tiradentes), determined to make their will prevail. The idea was to demand that the king, d. João VI, swear to uphold the constitutional bases drawn up by the Cortes — a deliberative assembly gathered in Portugal, resulting from a liberal movement that swept through the cities of Porto and Lisbon between August and September 1820.
Figure 1 — The most auspicious and memorable meeting of the most illustrious members of the Provisional Board. António Cândido Cordeiro Pinheiro Furtado, c. 1820, Museu de Lisboa.
Image description: This is a historic black-and-white engraving. The scene depicts a large courtyard in front of a majestic palace, with several people and horses scattered across the space. On the left, we see a three-story building with regularly spaced windows. In the center, there is a palace with columns and a sloped roof. On the right, there is a building with classical architecture, including columns and an arch. In the background, a fortress stands atop a hill. The sky is overcast, giving the image a somber tone.The absolutist model was being put in check. Rio de Janeiro embraced constitutionalism and demanded that its sovereign do the same.
News that a revolutionary movement had broken out in Portugal reached Rio de Janeiro in October 1820. The king, however, showed no clear reaction. This fueled rumors among the population sympathetic to the constitutionalist movement. Yet, while these people feared a reaction against them, d. João VI stayed out of sight, even keeping the birth of his grandson — and future heir to the throne — secret. It was feared that the population would turn the announcement into an occasion to force him to swear allegiance to the constitution.
Weeks before the “enthusiasm that among all classes of inhabitants of this Capital [resulted in the] memorable Day of February 26th,” as a text of the time stated, the king's advisers were exchanging reports about “inflammatory conversations” in the streets of Rio.
Figure 2 — Relação dos successos do dia 26 de Fevereiro de 1821 na corte do Rio de Janeiro. – Bahia, 1821. National Library of Portugal [purl.pt/36145]
Image description: The image is a photograph of a page from an old book. The spatial arrangement runs from left to right and from foreground to background. In the foreground, there is a printed piece with the title "RELACÃO DOS SUCCESSOS DO DIA 26 DE FEVEREIRO DE 1821 NA CORTE DO RIO DE JANEIRO." Below the title, there is a round seal with inscriptions. In the background, there is a repetitive print of black text on a white background. In the upper right, there are red marks and handwritten numbers. The text mentions "BAHIA: NA TYP. DA VIUVA SERVA, E CARVALHO. Com licença da Comissão da Censura."Seeking to take the reins of the situation, d. João VI issued, on February 23, a decree in which he agreed to the drafting of a constitution, but did not recognize the deliberative authority of the Cortes. That role would belong to the Crown.
Instead of calming the situation, the decree provoked "much great uproar among the public," as one resident observed. A pamphlet nailed to the palace door could not have been more direct: "It is not the King's role to give Law to the people, but to receive it from them." A conspiracy was set in motion, and, on February 26, people and troops gathered at Rossio, denouncing "evil Ministers, treacherous Counselors, and demoralized Courtiers," and extolling the constitutionalist model — not the one affirmed by João, but that of the Lisbon Cortes.
The situation eased with the arrival of Prince D. Pedro at Largo do Rossio. In the king's name, he swore loyalty to the constitutional foundations of the Cortes of Lisbon. In the morning, King D. João ratified in the public square the promises made by his son. The people, exultant, “unhitched the horses and pulled by hand, from Rossio to Largo do Paço, D. João's coach.” This euphoria was followed by a “grand gala” at the Teatro de São João, and the city lit up in celebration for nine days.
Figure 3 — [Provisional acceptance of the Lisbon Constitution]. Félix-Emilie Taunay, Rio de Janeiro. c.1821. Museu Nacional.
Image description: This is a painting depicting a historic event that took place on February 26, 1821, at Largo do Rossio. The scene shows a crowd gathered in front of a building with colonial architecture, possibly the Palácio dos Estaus. On the upper part of the palace, several people are standing on balconies, watching the crowd below. To the left, there are smaller buildings with sloped roofs. In the center, the mass of people appears agitated, some holding umbrellas. To the right, uniformed soldiers form a front line. The sky is clear and blue, suggesting a sunny day.The size of the demonstration — and especially the troops armed with gunpowder and plenty of resolve — left d. João VI wary. Days after the riot in Largo do Rossio, the monarch announced his return to Portugal. But the prince would remain on Brazilian soil, as regent.
The news shook Rio de Janeiro. And the fate of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was sealed.
Bibliographic References
CARVALHO, José Murilo de; BASTOS, Lúcia; BASILE, Marcello. To Arms, Citizens!: handwritten pamphlets of Brazil's independence (1820-1823). Editora Companhia das Letras, 2012.
ENDERS, Armelle. A história do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Gryphus Editora, 2015.
MARSON, Izabel Andrade; OLIVEIRA, Cecília Helena L. de Salles (Orgs.). Monarquia, liberalismo e negócios no Brasil: 1780-1860. São Paulo: Edusp, 2013.
PEDREIRA, Jorge Miguel Viana; COSTA, Fernando Dores. D. João VI: a prince between two continents. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2008.
SHULTZ, Kristen. Tropical Versailles: Empire, Monarchy, and the Portuguese Royal Court in Rio de Janeiro, 1808-1821. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 2008.
STARLING, Heloisa Maria Murgel; DE LIMA, Marcela Telles (orgs.). Vozes do Brasil: political language during Independence (1820-1824). Brasília: Edições do Senado Federal, 2021.
