Liberal Revolution of 1820 in Porto

The Liberal Revolution of Porto was the result of the political, economic and social situation in Portugal at the beginning of the 19th century. It all began when the French, led by Napoleon, decided to blockade all European kingdoms that traded with the United Kingdom. This caused great concern to the Portuguese because Great Britain was their great economic partner. So in 1807, King João VI had to decide between giving in to French pressure or irritating his ally. It was decided not to comply with the Continental Blockade, and to avoid French reprisals, the king fled to Brazil with the entire Portuguese Court, arriving in the American country in February 1808.

During this period, Brazil experienced profound transformations that included the opening of ports to friendly nations, thus ending centuries of commercial monopoly with Portugal. In 1815, Brazil was elevated to the status of a kingdom, equalling Portugal, and forming the United Kingdom of Portugal, the Algarve and Brazil, with its capital in Rio de Janeiro and signing treaties that provided ideal conditions for England to trade with the new country. Portugal, on the other side, saw its territory invaded by French troops. Once the French were expelled, the English troops were stationed in Portugal, under the government and military leadership of William Carr Beresford, while King João VI remained in Brazil. Portugal was going through difficult times. A serious agricultural crisis, its coffers empty, inflation was increasing and the amount of credit available to the country was decreasing. The Portuguese elites defended the need to re-colonize Brazil so that the exploitation of the colony would yield the sums necessary to recover the Portuguese economy.

To reverse this situation, liberal ideals began to gain strength in Portugal, advocating the drafting of a Constitution. The idea was the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, ending absolutism; the return of King João VI to Lisbon as a way of centralizing the Portuguese empire in Portugal; the expulsion of the English and the recolonization of Brazil. This caused the bourgeoisie, the military, the nobility and political movements to begin to meet in secret to promote changes in the country. In 1818 a secret organization called Sanhedrin was created, where several of its members were linked to Freemasonry and met to discuss the possibilities of ending Beresford's regency and establishing a constitutional monarchy in Portugal.

Reunón de Cortes de Lisboa.

On August 24, 1820, a revolution began in the city of Porto. The military occupied the City Hall and the Provisional Board of the Supreme Government of the Kingdom was formed, which presented its objectives to the nation. The bourgeoisie, the clergy and the Portuguese nobility supported the military in the revolution. The movement spread throughout Portugal and reached Lisbon. The Extraordinary and Constituent General Courts of the Portuguese Nation were convened to draft a Constitution for Portugal, with the end of absolutism and subjection to royal power that forced King Joao VI to return from Brazil and promulgate this constitution. The Liberal Revolution of Porto promoted all these changes in Portuguese politics, also contributing to the deterioration of relations between Brazil and Portugal that would lead to the independence of the American country in September 1822.