Who they were
Crowned as a boy after his father Pedro I abdicated, Pedro II ruled for nearly half a century from 1831. He presided over a period of relative political stability, economic expansion, and cultural progress.
What they did
A learned and modest monarch, he supported science, education, and the arts, and moved gradually toward ending slavery. Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, during his reign.
Legacy
A military coup deposed him in 1889 and proclaimed a republic, and he died in exile in France. He is often remembered fondly as a wise and dignified ruler.