Brazilian nationalism

Historians are not sure on the precise moment when Brazilians developed a local nationalism, distinct from the Portuguese one.

In some cases it is pointed to the discovery itself, in others it is attributed to the explorations of the bandeirantes or the South American theater of the Dutch–Portuguese War in the 17th century.

The Lusophobia present within the Empire was a key factor in the events that led to the abdication of Dom Pedro I.

The Brazilian monarchy was also a unifying factor, as the majority of the elite accepted the authority of the kings and feared the consequences of a potential revolt of their slaves.

[4] The elite envisioned a country of white peoples, but the slaves, mulattoes, and mestizos composed almost the two-thirds of the Brazilian population.