Emperor Pedro II

Pedro II was the second and last emperor of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina. His father's abrupt abdication and departure to Europe in 1831 left the five-year-old as emperor and led to a grim and lonely childhood and adolescence, obliged to spend his time studying in preparation for rule. His experiences with court intrigues and political disputes during this period greatly affected his later character; he grew into a man with a strong sense of duty and devotion toward his country and his people, yet increasingly resentful of his role as monarch. Pedro II inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, but he turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, zealously guarded freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth, and form of government—a functional representative parliamentary monarchy. Brazil was also victorious in the Platine War, the Uruguayan War, and the Paraguayan War, as well as prevailing in several other international disputes and domestic tensions. Pedro II steadfastly pushed through the abolition of slavery despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. A savant in his own right, the Emperor established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture, and the sciences, and he won the respect and admiration of people such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo, and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others. He was married to Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, with whom he had four children, two of whom died in infancy. He was a devoted father and husband, and a cultured and well-read man. He was also a lover of nature and photography, and a patron of the arts and sciences. He was deposed by a military coup in 1889, which proclaimed Brazil a republic. He accepted the end of the monarchy without resistance and went into exile in Europe with his family. He died in Paris in 1891, at the age of 66, and his remains were later returned to Brazil with honors. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian leaders and a champion of democracy, freedom, and progress.