General Notes

Pedro II (1825-91), emperor of Brazil (1831-89). The son of Pedro I, he
succeeded to the throne at the age of five, on his father's abdication, and
was subject to a regency until he reached his majority in 1840. In 1843 he
married Teresa Christina, daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies. The
early years of his reign were marked by revolts in various parts of the
country. Pedro had a lifelong interest in science and was a patron of the
arts. He opposed slavery, which he gradually phased out of Brazilian
life-outlawing the slave trade in 1850, initiating a process of emancipation
in 1871, and finally abolishing slavery altogether in 1888. Under his rule
Brazil fought a costly but successful war with Paraguay (1864-70), gaining
some territory as a result. Although impartial toward Brazil's rival political
groups, Pedro's use of the wide powers given to him by the imperial
constitution caused resentment, which, along with dissatisfaction among slave
owners, led to his overthrow and the establishment of a republic in 1889.