History of Brazil

The history of Brazil begins some 10,000 years ago when the first indigenous peoples crossed the Bering Straits and filtered down in to South America. Much of what we know of pre-Conquest Brazil comes from the records kept by the Portuguese colonisers. The first contact between the Portuguese and the native peoples in 1500 was followed by a period of violent colonization which relied on a huge slave trade. A short-lived Brazilian monarchy followed independence from Portugal in 1822, eventually giving way to Brazil's first democratic republic in 1889. The history of Brazil is full of twists and turns, however. Since the establishment of Brazil's first republic, the country has experienced a second republic, a period military rule, and a long-awaited return to democracy in 1985.

Indigenous peoples
European colonization
Independence from Portugal
Proclamation of the Republic

Key periods in the history of Brazil
Military rule: 1964 - 1985 A controversial period marked by state repression and economic growth.	The first Republic: 1989-1930 Deodora de Fonseca was the first president of the new republic.
Abolition of slavery, 1888 Brazil finally abolished slavery on 13 May 1888.	Rebellion against Portugal: 1788-1807 Tiradentes was executed for his role in a plot to create a republic.
Sugar and slaves Brazil's booming sugar trade wouldn't have been possible without slavery.	Arrival of the Portuguese, 1500 Early Portuguese traded with and even married into indigenous tribes.