The Portuguese were the first European settlers to arrive in Brazil in 1500 led by Pedro Cabral, beginning the colonial period. They found an estimated 7 million native Indians living in the area in temporary dwellings or villages of up to 5,000 inhabitants with limited agriculture. Archaeological evidence shows humans have been in Brazil for at least 50,000 years, with the Tupi-Guarani being the most populous indigenous group. Portugal exploited Brazil's natural resources from the 15th century onward as part of European commercial expansion, establishing sugar plantations and mining operations using slave labor. Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1822 and became a republic in 1889, though the military took control intermittently until civilian rule was restored in
2. THE PORTUGUESE WERE THE FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLERS TO ARRIVE IN THE AREA, LED BY ADVENTUROUS
PEDRO CABRAL, WHO BEGAN THE COLONIAL PERIOD IN 1500. THE PORTUGUESE REPORTEDLY FOUND NATIVE
INDIANS NUMBERING AROUND SEVEN MILLION. MOST TRIBES WERE PERIPATETIC, WITH ONLY LIMITED
AGRICULTURE AND TEMPORARY DWELLINGS, ALTHOUGH VILLAGES OFTEN HAD AS MANY AS 5000
INHABITANTS.
3. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
BY THE TIME THE PORTUGUESE ARRIVED IN 1500 AD, THE AREA OF WHAT IS NOW BRAZIL WAS ALREADY
POPULATED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. RESEARCHERS FOUND EVIDENCE OF HUMAN PRESENCE THERE
50.000 YEARS AGO. MOST OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WERE TUPI-GUARANI INDIANS, BUT THE
POPULATION WAS QUITE DIVERSE. UNLIKE THE INCA’S AND THE MAYA’S ON THE WEST COAST, BRAZIL’S
EARLY INHABITANTS NEVER DEVELOPED A HIGHLY ADVANCED CIVILIZATION.
BRAZIL'S EARLIEST INHABITANTS WERE THE INDIANS. MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED NATIVE TRIBAL GROUPS
INHABITED THE LAND. THEY DID NOT PLANT CROPS, BUT HUNTED AND GATHERED FRUITS AND BERRIES.
4. COLONIAL PERIOD
PORTUGAL'S EXPLOITATION OF BRAZIL STEMMED FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL EXPANSION OF THE
FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CENTURIES (SEE THE COLONIAL ERA, 1500-1815, CH. 1). BLOCKED FROM THE
LUCRATIVE HINTERLAND TRADE WITH THE FAR EAST, WHICH WAS DOMINATED BY ITALIAN CITIES,
PORTUGAL BEGAN IN THE EARLY FIFTEENTH CENTURY TO SEARCH FOR OTHER ROUTES TO THE SOURCES OF
GOODS VALUED IN EUROPEAN MARKETS.
5. THE EMPIRE OF BRAZIL
THE GOVERNMENT IN LISBON PAID LITTLE ATTENTION TO BRAZIL AND WANTED DOM PEDRO TO RETURN TO
PORTUGAL. DURING A TOUR THROUGH MINAS GERAIS, ON 7 SEPTEMBER 1822, DOM PEDRO RECEIVED THE
MESSAGE FROM PORTUGAL TO DISMISS ALL OF HIS MINISTERS AND REIGN FURTHER WITH NEW MINISTERS
APPOINTED BY LISBON.
6. BELOW ARE SOME OF BRAZIL’S MOST SIGNIFICANT YEARS SINCE ITS DISCOVERY BY EUROPEAN COLONIALISTS IN
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
• 1500 - THE PORTUGUESE ARRIVE IN BRAZIL UNDER THE COMMAND OF PEDRO ALVARES CABRAL, WHO CLAIMED THIS
NEW LAND AS HIS OWN.
• 1630 - THE DUTCH DESIRE BRAZILIAN OCCUPANCY AND DOMINATION AND CHOOSE THIS YEAR TO INVADE THE
COUNTRY, NOW OCCUPIED LARGELY BY THE PORTUGUESE.
• 1654 – THE DUTCH ARE FINALLY DRIVEN FROM BRAZIL BY THE PORTUGUESE, WHO ONCE AGAIN CLAIM OWNERSHIP.
• 1750 - PORTUGAL SIGNS A TREATY WITH FELLOW EUROPEAN NATION SPAIN, WHICH EFFECTIVELY FIXES AREAS OF
RULE IN THE CONTINENT OF SOUTH AMERICA.
7. • 1808 TO 1821 – THE ROYALS FROM PORTUGAL RELOCATE TO BRAZIL AND RUN BOTH BRAZIL AND THEIR
EUROPEAN HOMELAND FROM RIO DE JANEIRO.
• 1822 - BRAZIL BREAKS TIES WITH PORTUGAL, FINALLY ANNOUNCING ITS INDEPENDENCE.
• 1888 – A MAMMOTH STEP FORWARD OCCURS WHEN SLAVERY IS FINALLY ABOLISHED IN THIS YEAR.
• 1889 – BRAZIL PROUDLY PROCLAIMS ITSELF A REPUBLIC.
• 1917 - BRAZIL OFFICIALLY DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
8. • 1930 - GETULIO VARGAS IS ELECTED THE PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL BY MILITARY OFFICIALS.
• 1942 - BRAZIL DECLARES WAR ON THE AXIS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
• 1945 – VARGAS IS OVERTHROWN IN A MILITARY COUP.
• 1945 – BRAZIL BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION.
• 1946 - A NEW CONSTITUTION IS IMPLEMENTED IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH RESTORES THE RIGHTS OF
INDIVIDUALS.
9. • 1958 - BRAZIL IS CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL AT THE WORLD CUP™ FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
• 1960 – THE CAPITAL CITY IS MOVED FROM RIO DE JANEIRO TO THE NEW CITY OF BRASILIA.
• 1962 - BRAZIL IS CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL AT THE WORLD CUP™ FOR THE SECOND
TIME.
• 1964 – FOR A TIME, MILITARY LEADERS TAKE CONTROL OF THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT.
• 1970 - BRAZIL IS CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL AT THE WORLD CUP™ FOR THE THIRD
TIME.
10. • 1985 - BRAZIL’S GOVERNMENT IS FINALLY RETURNED TO CIVILIAN RULE.
• 1988 - THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ENSURES A WIDE DISTRIBUTION AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE NEW
CONSTITUTION OF BRAZIL, WHICH GIVES ITS CITIZENS MORE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.
• 1989 – FERNANDO COLLOR DE MELLO IS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT IN THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS SINCE
1960.
• 1992 – RIO DE JANEIRO HOSTS MORE THAN 100 WORLD LEADERS FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL WORLD
SUMMIT DAY™.
• 1994 - BRAZIL IS CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL AT THE WORLD CUP™ FOR THE FOURTH
TIME.
11. • 1995 – FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO BECOMES BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT.
• 2002 - BRAZIL IS CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL AT THE WORLD CUP™ FOR THE FIFTH TIME.
• 2003 - LUIZ INACIO LULA DE SILVA BECOMES BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT.
• 2011 - DILMA ROUSSEFF BECOMES BRAZIL'S FIRST WOMEN PRESIDENT.