The Confederation of the Equator (Portuguese: Confederação do Equador) was a short-lived rebellion that occurred in the northeastern region of the Empire of Brazil in 1824, in the early years of the country's independence from Portugal.

[4] The province was governed by Paes Barreto, who was appointed President by Pedro I, in accordance with the law promulgated by the Constituent Assembly on October 20, 1823 (and that would be later kept by the Constitution).

[4][9] Frei Caneca, José da Natividade Saldanha and João Soares Lisboa (that had recently returned from Buenos Aires) were the intellectuals behind the rebellion[4] and desired to preserve the interests of the gentry that they represented.

[2] Although Recife (or to be more precise, the Liberals) had clearly rebelled, Pedro I tried to prevent a conflict that he considered unnecessary and appointed a new president the province, José Carlos Mayrink da Silva Ferrão.

Mayrink was natural of the province of Minas Gerais, but was related to the Liberals and it could act as a neutral entity to conciliate the two local factions.

[4][6][9] The rumors of a great Portuguese naval attack (Brazil was still in war for its independence) compelled John Taylor to leave Recife.

[4][10] On July 2, 1824, only one day after the departure of Taylor, Manuel Paes de Andrade made use of the chance and announced the independence of Pernambuco.

[4][8][10][11] However, in Ceará the situation became more serious with the deposition of the President Pedro José da Costa Barros, who was substituted by the confederate Tristão Gonçalves de Alencar Araripe.

[10] On August 2 the Emperor sent a naval division commanded by the Admiral Thomas Cochrane, composed of the ship of the line Pedro I, a brig, a corvette and two transports and also 1,200 soldiers led by Brigadier General Francisco de Lima e Silva.

[15][16] Most of the population of Pernambuco, who lived in the countryside, including partisans of Paes Barreto and the neutral or indifferent to the disputes between both factions, remained faithful to the monarchy.

[17] Manuel Paes de Andrade, who had sworn that would fight to death ran away secretly with José da Natividade Saldanha without informing his companions and departed in a British ship.

Issuing from the top of the yellow square was a red staff ending in a hand with the eye of Providence on the palm, encircled by six more white stars.