What it was
Founded when Pedro I declared independence in 1822, the empire was governed as a constitutional monarchy with a parliament. Pedro II’s long reign from 1831 brought relative stability and growth.
Role
The empire preserved Brazil’s territorial unity while most of Spanish America splintered into many republics. Its economy long depended on coffee exports and on enslaved labor.
Fate
Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, and a military coup ended the monarchy in 1889, proclaiming a republic. The empire is remembered as the framework of Brazil’s early nationhood.