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LEGISLATIVE  RESOLUTION  commemorating  189 years of the Independence of
Brazil on September 7, 2011

WHEREAS, Brazil became a Portuguese colony in 1500 with  the  establish-
ment of their first settlement, Sao Vicente; and
  WHEREAS, Brazil was ruled from Lisbon for the next 300 years as a very
fruitful  colony:  rich in lumber, minerals, gold, gemstones; all making
Portugal very wealthy at the hands of  indigenous  people  and  imported
slaves from Africa; and
  WHEREAS,  In  1808,  Dom  Joao VI and the Portuguese royal family fled
from Napoleon and established the seat of government in Rio de  Janeiro;
and
  WHEREAS,  After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Dom Joao VI thought it
best to establish Brazil as a kingdom similar to Portugal and worked the
next several years toward that cause; and
  WHEREAS, Portugal strongly disagreed with  Brazilian  sovereignty  and
Dom  Joao's  staying in Brazil, and sent an army to stabilize Brazil and
return Dom Joao to Portugal; Dom Joao returned to Portugal  leaving  his
23 year old son, Pedro, to preside over Brazil; and
  WHEREAS,  Pedro, now known as Dom Pedro, continued his father's vision
to bring about an autonomous Brazil, similar to what  was  happening  in
nearly every other Latin American territory during that era; and
  WHEREAS,  In Rio de Janeiro on September 7, 1822, Dom Pedro received a
letter from Portugal saying  that  all  power  given  to  him  had  been
annulled and that Portugal intended to enslave all of Brazil; and
  WHEREAS,  Pedro  turned  to  his  companions  and spoke: "Friends, the
Portuguese Cortes want to enslave and  pursue  us.  From  today  on  our
relations  are  broken. No ties unite us anymore" and continued after he
pulled out his blue-white armband that  symbolized  Portugal:  "Armbands
off,  soldiers.  Hail  to  the independence, to freedom and to the sepa-
ration of Brazil"; and
  WHEREAS, When arriving in the city  of  Sao  Paolo  on  the  night  of
September 7, 1822, Pedro and his fellow companions had spread the notice
of the Brazilian independence from Portugal; and
  WHEREAS,  The  Portuguese  quickly  gave in to the idea of a Brazilian
empire; without a single shot being fired, Dom Pedro I became the  first
emperor of an independent Brazil; and
  WHEREAS, The United States was the first country to recognize Brazili-
an independence in 1822; and
  WHEREAS, International recognition of Brazil's independence came about
on  August 29, 1825, when a treaty was signed between Britain and Portu-
gal; and
  WHEREAS, Many Brazilians have made  New  York  their  home,  and  this
Legislative Body is justly proud to thank the Brazilian people for their
contributions to this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
  RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate 189 years of the Independence  of  Brazil  on  September  7,
2011.