The History of Brazil (1836) volume 1
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| History of Brazil |
Armitage, a British historian, published this two‑volume work in 1836, only fourteen years after Brazil declared independence from Portugal (1822). His book is invaluable because it documents Brazil’s transformation from colony to empire in real time, offering a foreign observer’s perspective on the young nation.
Key Themes
Colonial Brazil: Portuguese exploration, settlement, and the rise of sugar and gold economies.
Independence (1822): The role of Dom Pedro I, the break with Portugal, and the proclamation of the Empire of Brazil.
Political Struggles: Early constitutional debates, regional revolts, and the challenges of unifying a vast territory.
Society and Culture: Armitage comments on Brazil’s diverse population — Indigenous peoples, African slaves, and European settlers — and how these groups shaped national identity.
Historical Significance
One of the first English‑language histories of Brazil, making the country’s story accessible to European readers.
Provides a contemporary account of independence, unlike later histories written with hindsight.
Reflects the 19th‑century fascination with new nations emerging in the Americas.
From introduction
afford. As he proceeded, however, he was animated by higher motives; for it was not only interesting to trace the gradual progress of a people from rudeness to comparative civilization, but he also felt, with the writer quoted on the title page, that history can no longer be regarded merely as “the record of tyrannies and slaughters,” but rather as “the archive of experiments, tending to show how the advantages of government can best be secured to the governed.”
In the execution of this work, he has enjoyed opportunities of associating with some of the most eminent political characters in Brazil. He has had access to documents and sources of information open to few, and he has visited the seat of the Cisplatine War, enabling him to estimate the manners and character of the wild inhabitants of that district from personal observation. Whether he has turned these advantages to good account is for the public to decide.
He freely concedes that his position as a foreigner in Brazil may at times have proved an obstacle to entering fully into the spirit of his theme; yet he hopes it will be remembered that this circumstance also tended to prevent undue bias in favor of any faction. Indeed, contemporary history may in some instances be best written by a foreigner, since he can associate with and enter into the feelings of all parties without partaking of their passions.
Rio de Janeiro, July 1, 1835