The founding assembly was composed of twenty-seven founding members, most of whom, in addition to performing functions within the government, were part of a generation still born in Portugal, compulsorily transferred to Brazil on the occasion of the coming of King John VI to Brazil and educated in Coimbra, thus refractory to the ideals of the French Revolution.

[4] The geography and history commissions were in charge of receiving memoirs, documents and articles, giving their opinion by indicating them to the magazine, to the single publication, or only to the archive.

[4] In March 1839 it received the Patronage of the Emperor Pedro II, who besides being its protector, over time became an active member, presiding over hundreds of sessions.

[5] Despite mirroring itself in Enlightenment agremiations, its agenda revolved around the sovereign, without him there was no show: in 1846, it did not celebrate the public anniversary session, as the emperor was out of Rio de Janeiro; in the 1865 magna session, the emperor's return to Rio de Janeiro, involved in the Paraguay War, was celebrated.

Moreover it was customary for the Institute to send delegations to greet the monarch on the occasion of numerous dates, both personal and national.