PEDRO I., Port. pron. pit'drei (Dom ANTO NIO PEDRO DE ALCANTARA BOURBON) ( 1798-1834) . Emperor of Brazil. He was the second son of John VI., King of Porthgal from 1816, and was born at Lisbon. October 12, 1798. In 1807 the royal family fled to Brazil before the invading armies of France. There John VI., on the death of his mother, Maria 1., was crowned King of Portugal, and Dom Pedro, heir apparent since the death of his elder brother (1801), at tained much influence in politics in tTite of his youth and his rather irregular education. In 1821 King John returned to Portugal and Dom Pedro was made Regent of Brazil. Ile soon threw in his lot with the Brazilian national party, who were disgusted by the systematic preference shown to the Portuguese in the appointment to high offices in Church and State. The separatist movement attained formidable proportions, and on October 12, 1822, Dom Pedro was proclaimed Emperor of Brazil. The slight resistance made by Portugal was easily overcome, and in 1825 the mother country acknowledged the independence of Brazil. The popularity of the Emperor, which was at first very great, was gradually weakened by the arbitrary measures taken against the Re publican faction, and his acceptance of a new constitution in 1824 did not materially mend matters. In 1828 the Province of Urruguay'suceeed
ed in establishing its independence of Brazil. Op position to the Government increased, and Pedro at length, April 7. 1831, abdicated in favor of his son, Pedro IL. and went to Europe. He had been proclaimed King of Portugal upon the death of his father, in 1826, but had resigned the throne in favor of his daughter. Donna Maria da Gloria, who had been set aside by her uncle, D0111 Pedro's younger brother, Miguel (q.v.). The ex-Emperor invaded Portugal in the early part of 1832 with an army largely made up of English and French volunteers, to make good his title to his the throne. He occupied Oporto in July, and a year later made his entry into Lisbon after his admiral, Sir Charles Napier had vanquished the fleet of Dom Miguel off Cape Saint Vincent. The usurper was forced to abandon all claims to the throne in 1834. In August, 1834, Dom Pedro was chosen Regent of the Kingdom, but he died on September 24th of the same year, two days after the coronation of the young Queen, Donna Maria.
.Armitage, History of Brazil (London, 1836), give's an excellent account of events during the residence of the Braganza family in Brazil.