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nationalist aspirations there and realize
that a separation is probably inevitable.
John VI returns to Portugal but first urges
his eldest son, Peter, to seize leadership of
the nascent movement and proclaim
himself monarch rather than have the
Braganças entirely excluded from Brazil.
Brazil proclaims independence, and Peter
assumes the title emperor of Brazil.
Portugal. Peter, in turn, revises the con-
stitution back into a liberal framework.
To complicate matters further, he de-
clines to return to Lisbon, hands over the
succession there to his daughter Maria
da Glória (Maria II), and names his
brother, Miguel (who is at political odds
with him), to be regent for the child
queen.
1823
Back in Portugal, John VI finds himself
under pressure to undercut the liberal
components of the constitution, and his
second son, Miguel, actually rallies a con-
servative revolt against the liberal gov-
ernment.
An invasion force (“the 100,000 Sons of St.
Louis”) is sent into Spain by the restored
French Bourbon monarchy, acting as the
agent of the conservative Holy Alliance
powers. The Spanish liberals are defeated,
and Ferdinand is restored to full author-
ity. The Constitution of 1812 is once again
abolished, and he governs despotically
for the remainder of his reign.
Proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine (De-
cember 2) by the United States is a warn-
ing against European interference with
the independence of any former Spanish
colony in the Americas. It is reinforced by
Great Britain, which wishes to secure free
access to trade in that region. All hope of
regaining Spain's empire in the Western
Hemisphere now disappears. Only Cuba
and Puerto Rico remain Spanish outposts,
Florida having been sold to the United
States in 1819.
1826-53
Maria II is queen of Portugal, but early in
1828 a conservative coup, led by Miguel,
forces the queen and her principal sup-
porters to take refuge in Great Britain.
This development precipitates the
Miguelite War, in which liberals and con-
servatives struggle for dominance.
1831
Emperor Pedro I of Brazil transfers his
throne to his young son (Pedro II) and
returns to Europe to aid his daughter's
cause. With assistance from the new lib-
eral governments of Great Britain and
France he mounts an invasion of Portu-
guese territory. In 1834 a Quadruple Al-
liance is formed by the adherence of the
liberal regime in Spain, which fears the
collaboration of Miguelites with their
own Carlist enemies. Miguel is defeated
and forced to leave Portugal. He and his
descendants are nevertheless regarded as
the rightful kings by subsequent genera-
tions of “Miguelites.”
1833-68
Isabella II, the eldest surviving child of Fer-
dinand VII, is proclaimed heir in June
and succeeds her father to the Spanish
throne upon his death in September.
Ferdinand's repudiation of the Salic law
1826
John VI dies, leaving the throne to Peter of
Brazil, who becomes King Peter IV of
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