Brazilian War of Independence (Triangles and Crosses)

Brazilian War of Independence
The Battle of San Vicente, Pedro Américo.
Date 21 April 1791 – 3 September 1796 (5 years, 4 months, 15 days) Place Portuguese South America Result Brazilian victory Independence of Brazil Portuguese recognition of Brazil Treaty of Ilhéus Territorial changes Brazil gains independence and the Spanish province of Montevideo
Belligerents
Brazil Spanish-American volunteers Brazilian Natives Supported by: France (1792–96) Great Britain	Portuguese Empire Loyalists Spanish Empire (from 1794) Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (from 1792) Supported by: Burgundy (from 1792)
Commanders and leaders
Bernardo José de Lorena Sebastião Xavier da Veiga Cipriano Barata de Almeida Inácio José de Alvarenga Francisco Antônio de Oliveira Luiz Gonzaga das Virgens	Balthazar I José Luís de Castro João de Albuquerque de Melo Luís António Mendonça e Faro Francisco de Sousa Coutinho Fernando José de Portugal Philip VI Nicolás Antonio de Arredondo Pedro de Portugal
Strength
1,000 cavalry 3,000 infantry 6,000 brigades 15 ships	1,200 cavalry 2,500 infantry 10,300 brigades 40 ships
Casualties and losses
3,000 - 5,400 dead

The Brazilian War of Independence (Portuguese: Guerra da Independência do Brasil), also known as the Brazilian Revolutionary War (Brazilian Portuguese: Guerra Revolucionária Brasileira) was waged primarily between Brazil and the Kingdom of Portugal. It spanned from April 1791 to September 1796, when the last Spanish troops were surrendered in the city of Rio Grande.

Inspired by the ideals of the failed Rebellion of 1776 in British North America, and initially with limited members, the Minas Gerais Movement rose in the city of Vila Rica (current-day Trindade). These separatist ideals were spoken to the population, which spread in Brazilian territory. The ideals convinced initially the governor of São Paulo, Bernardo José de Lorena and Sebastião Xavier of São Pedro do Rio Grande. With a strong union, the Free State of Brazil declared independence at a conference in Vila Rica.

Volunteers of Spanish lands in South America integrated the Brazilian side, which provoked the viceroy of Río de La Plata Nicolás de Arredondo, declaring war to the rebellious nation. Great Britain decided to support financially the revolution, as France did the same secretly one year later. Portugal was supported by Burgundy. The war happened four scenarios, the Brazilian–Portuguese battles inland, the war on the sea, the Brazilian–Spanish battles, and several clashes between Indigenous tribes and the European forces.

During the end of the war, Great Britain decided to mediate the conflict between the two sides. The gathering was resolved in the Treaty of Ilhéus, with Portugal recognizing Brazil as an independent country. Months later, Brazil and Spain signed the Treaty of Montevideo, which ceded to Brazil the intendance of Montevideo.

The success of the Brazilian revolutionaries, as well as the Haitian Revolution, was considered a spark for the Atlantic Revolutions, beginning with the Louisianan War of Independence in 1803, being soon followed by the Spanish American wars of independence in the following decades.

The War

Early battles

Capitulation of Vila Rica

As more citizens agreed with the eventual autonomy of the Portuguese colony of Brazil, the movement of independence was gaining even more supporters with the time. On 21 April 1791, the leaders of the movement along with the population of the town of Vila Rica gathered in the front of the Governor's Palace, eventually starting the Capitulation of Vila Rica ("Capitulação de Vila Rica" or "Tomada de Vila Rica"). The town eventually was capitulated, as in three months later, the Governor Luís Antônio Faro denounced the revolt to Viceroy José Luís de Castro, in Rio de Janeiro.

Some governors were aware of the organization, such as Bernardo José de Lorena, of São Paulo, and Sebastião Xavier da Veiga, of Rio Grande. Both manifested interest for the independence of Brazil, and secretly financed the proliferation of the autonomist ideals throughout their captaincies.

The city was set up as the provisional seat of the Brazilian government. A provisional fort was established in the outskirts of the town, as militias were being formed and financed by the rebels to protect the entries. Cláudio Manoel da Costa was considered the de facto leader of the country, as he would later become the inaugural holder of the Federal Consulate.

Pro-Independence captaincies

The first captaincy to declare Independence of Portugal after the central government in Minas Gerais was the Captaincy of São Paulo. The government of São Paulo recruited and convoked loyalist troops and divided into two fronts, the Guairá Front, advancing to the town of Paranaguá, and the Parahyba Front, advancing to the Parahyba Valley, in destination to Vila Rica. Later, some troops were headed to the western uninhabited region of São Paulo, and eventually to the Portuguese Captaincy of Mato Grosso.

A few months later, Sebastião da Veiga adhered to the Independence movement, occupying the Captaincy of Santa Catarina. The gaúchos, people of the Captaincy of Rio Grande were extremely favorable to Brazilian independence, as many of them quickly expelled the loyalist forces from the region. Minor battles were noticed during this period, except for the major Battle of Laguna, which was crucial to the occupation of Santa Catarina.

Some landowners supported the Independence movements, which occurred to influence the governors of Grão-Pará (1792), Maranhão, and Piauí (1793) to support of the independence of Brazil. Many landowners funded the Brazilian Liberation Army. Mato Grosso and Pernambuco didn't support the revolt, remaining loyal to the Portuguese crown and sending troops and militias to combat the revolutionary troops.

However, in Pernambuco and Bahia, animosity and instability peaked in the region as in Bahia the governor Fernando José de Portugal unsuccessfully tried to suppress the Revolt of the Tailors, which would quickly unite with the Brazilian revolutionaries. The new government in Bahia declared support in August 1793, sending a delegation to the provisional seat, as did many other rebellious captaincies. However, the Captaincy of Pernambuco saw the collapse of its territory into the states of Ceará and Rio Grande.