[1] The document brought centralizing aspects along with the controversial moderating power, which contributed to growing discontent and revolts, including the outcome of the Cisplatine War and the assassination of Líbero Badaró, a well-known journalist.

[3] After Napoleon Bonaparte declared war on England's allies, he ordered an invasion of Portugal, which had refused to comply with the French demands regarding the continental blockade.

[4] Under this new political status, Brazil experienced some conditions not seen before, such as the installation of some small industries in Rio de Janeiro and trade with countries other than Portugal.

One of these countries was England, which benefited greatly from the political change, since it wouldn't have to wait for Brazilian products (raw materials, gold, minerals) to pass through Portugal first.

On August 29, 1821, an armed movement began against the government of Captain General Luís do Rego Barreto – the leader of the Pernambucan revolt – culminating in the formation of the Junta de Goiana.

He encountered strong opposition in the provinces of Maranhão, Bahia, Pará and Piauí, not to mention Portuguese troops who were still installed in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities.

To solve the situation, Pedro I hired some European soldiers, mostly English and French, who, under the command of British Marshal Thomas Cochrane, managed to remove the enemy forces; in Maranhão, he succeeded in dissipating the resistance with just one warship.

This was also its first failure; due to a strong disagreement between the deputies and the Emperor, who demanded more personal power than the legislature and the judiciary, the Assembly was dissolved in November.

On March 3, 1823, the General Constituent and Legislative Assembly of the Empire of Brazil began its activities with the objective of creating the country's first political constitution.

All the constitutions which, in the style of 1791 and 1792, have laid their foundations and wanted to be organized, have shown us are totally theoretical and metaphysical, and therefore unworkable: this is proven by France, Spain and, lately, Portugal.

[11][12][13] However, there were political divisions and three groups were distinguishable: the "bonifacios", who were led by José Bonifácio, defended the existence of a strong, but constitutional and centralized monarchy, in order to avoid the possibility of the fragmentation of the country, wanted to abolish the slave trade and slavery, carry out agrarian reform and develop the country economically free of foreign loans; the "portugueses absolutistas" ("absolutist Portuguese"), who included not only Lusitanians but also Brazilians and defended an absolute and centralized monarchy, as well as the preservation of their economic and social privileges; and the "liberais federalistas" ("federalist liberals"), who included Portuguese and Brazilians and advocated a merely figurative and decentralized monarchy, if possible federal, together with the maintenance of slavery, as well as strongly opposing the projects of the "bonifacios".

This fact, followed by the approval of a bill on June 12, 1823, which stated that the laws created by the organization would not have to be sanctioned by the Emperor, led Pedro I to confront the Constituent Assembly.

On one hand, the "liberais federalistas" wanted to overthrow the ministry presided over by José Bonifácio and get revenge for the persecutions they had suffered during the previous year.

[13] On the other hand, the "portugueses absolutistas" saw their interests threatened when José Bonifácio issued the decrees of November 12, 1822, and December 11, 1822, which eliminated the privileges of the Lusitanians and confiscated the goods, merchandise and property belonging to those who had supported Portugal during Brazilian independence, respectively.

The crisis became worse when a Brazilian-born apothecary, who also worked as a journalist, was physically attacked by two Portuguese officers who mistakenly believed he had written an insulting article.

The Minister of the Empire, Vilela Barbosa, representing the government, addressed the Assembly demanding that the Andradas brothers be prosecuted for the alleged abuses they had committed.

The following day, when Vilela Barbosa returned to the assembly to explain the meeting of the troops, some deputies shouted demanding that Pedro I be declared an "outlaw".

Worried about the possibility of becoming a null figure in the country's government and faced with disputes among the deputies, Pedro I decided to dissolve the Constituent Assembly.

[16] After dissolving the Constituent Assembly, the Emperor commissioned the Council of State, created on November 13, 1823, and composed of renowned Brazilian jurists, to draft a new constitution.

Isabel Lustosa says that according to [Neill] Macaulay, "he provided an unusual statute, under which Brazil protected for more than 65 years the basic rights of its citizens better 'than any other nation in the Western Hemisphere, with the possible exception of the United States'."

The General Assembly, highest body of the national legislature, was created, composed of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, whose members were chosen by popular vote.

At that time, a good percentage of the politicians elected in Brazil were of sacerdotal origin, since the recruitment of electors and the organization of the polls were carried out by priests.

[24] In line with the policy of the Portuguese constitution and taking advantage of Brazil's fragility after the Cisplatine War, King John VI and the absolutist group of his ministry sought to reclaim Brazilian territory in mid-1825.

On the verge of war, John VI decided to appoint Pedro as his successor in Portugal, ignoring the desertion that he had imposed on his son due to his rebellion and the events of 1822 – a negotiation that was monitored from a distance by the British government.

Just a month after being crowned Portuguese king, Pedro I abdicated the throne, but guaranteed the succession to his firstborn, Maria II, who was unable to assume it at the time due to her age and handed over the regency to Miguel I.

[26] Even though he had resigned, the Brazilian liberal opposition continued to put pressure on him, especially in view of the Emperor's foreign involvement in the problems arising from this succession.

[27][28] In an attempt to restore his political prestige, Pedro I made one last visit to Minas Gerais with the intention of reaching an agreement with the province's politicians.

The Brazilian soldiers were quartered in the São Cristóvão neighborhood and the people reacted by forming an opposition, culminating in the siege of the Imperial Palace by the population.

[27] Outraged, the Portuguese settled in Rio de Janeiro held a public demonstration in protest, which triggered retaliation from the anti-Portuguese sectors, with riots and street conflicts.