Imperial Portugal in the Age of Atlantic Revolutions

As the British, French and Spanish Atlantic empires were torn apart in the Age of Revolutions, Portugal steadily pursued reforms to tie its American, African and European territories more closely together. Eventually, after a period of revival and prosperity, the Luso-Brazilian world also succumbed to revolution, which ultimately resulted in Brazil's independence from Portugal. The first of its kind in the English language to examine the Portuguese Atlantic World in the period from 1750 to 1850, this book reveals that despite formal separation, the links and relationships that survived the demise of empire entwined the historical trajectories of Portugal and Brazil even more tightly than before. From constitutionalism to economic policy to the problem of slavery, Portuguese and Brazilian statesmen and political writers laboured under the long shadow of empire as they sought to begin anew and forge stable post-imperial orders on both sides of the Atlantic. Advance praise: 'By asking how the Portuguese empire lasted not why it lagged, Gabriel Paquette overturns conventional historical wisdom on Brazil, Portugal and the Atlantic world. His erudite study also convincingly shows how essential political and intellectual history are for transnational and imperial history. All in all, a masterly achievement.' David Armitage, Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History, Harvard University 'This is an excellent work, which analyses the Luso-Brazilian world in the wider context of the Atlantic revolutions, breaking away from national frameworks of historiography that have constrained research. The vigorous reform of the Portuguese empire, followed by independent monarchical Brazil and long term disentanglement of the different parts of the empire, are freshly assessed through a new evaluation of continuities in the economic, social and cultural fields.' Francisco Bethencourt, Charles Boxer Professor, King's College London 'Gabriel Paquette brilliantly provides both historical evidence and analytical arguments allowing for a better understanding of the breakdown of the Portuguese empire in South America. He also presents a convincing explanation of the persistent and friendly relationship between Portugal and Brazil after Brazilian independence in 1822. The book offers new insights to demonstrate that the end of colonial empires is not necessarily the outcome of conflicts and rebellions, but rather the consequence of continuous and enlightened reforms. The book meets high research standards and is compulsory reading for all those interested in colonial and postcolonial historical studies.' Jose Luis Cardoso, University of LisbonIntroduction; 1. The reform of empire in the late eighteenth century; 2. From foreign invasion to imperial disintegration; 3. Decolonization's progeny: restoration, disaggregation, and recalibration; 4. The last Atlantic revolution: emigrados, Miguelists, and the Portuguese Civil War; 5. After Brazil, after civil war: the origins of Portugal's African empire; Conclusion: the long shadow of Empire in the Luso-Atlantic world; Bibliography.