Sete de Setembro the 7th of September is Brazilian Independence Day.

In another post I provided a brief synopsis of the events leading up to the 7th of September, 1822. On this historic day, Dom Pedro I declared Brazil an independent nation, allegedly tearing the Portuguese insignia from his uniform and swearing: “By my blood, by my honor and by God: I will make Brazil free!.” He declared the official motto, now known as the Grito do Ipiranga: Independência ou Morte. This phrase is dear to my heart as it echoes the American General John Stark’s famous words: “Live free or die,” now the official motto of my home state (New Hampshire), and the most famous of all American state mottos.

Brazilian independence was hard-fought, and certainly did not occur on the 7th of September. The Portuguese colonial forces still had to be forced to withdraw from the Americas, to which end Dom Pedro I hired British naval commander Admiral Thomas Cochrane.

Brazil was recognized internationally as a sovereign nation on August 29, 1825. In 1889, Dom Pedro I’s successor, his son Dom Pedro II, ended his reign as emperor and Brazil was proclaimed a Republic.

Happy Brazilian Independence Day!!

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