Maria Joaquina was the sister of Afonso José Corte Real, who later also joined the rebel side on the Ragamuffin War and took part in the capture of Porto Alegre on 20 September 1835.

[2][6] João Manuel also supported the political events led by his brother Francisco de Lima e Silva that culminated in the abdication of emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 7 April 1831.

[6] According to Cláudio Moreira Bento, João Manuel might have been influenced by his wife's family and personal disappointments, and also the events taking place in the neighboring Platine states, the United Provinces and Uruguay, which slowly turned him into a defender of liberalism and republicanism in contrast to the monarchical regime of the Empire of Brazil.

[6] After Pedro I's abdication, João Manuel bought a typography called Fonseca e Cia, which he installed in his house and used to print the journal O Continentino [pt], issued every two weeks.

[6][7] Sociedade Continentino had a Masonic character and operated in secret; some of its members included Italian Tito Lívio Zambecari, José Pinheiro de Ulchoa Cintra, from Minas Gerais, Manuel Ruedas, from Uruguay, and José Mariano de Matos, who was a close friend of João Manuel and one of his colleagues at the Royal Academy, sharing his republican and federalist ideas.

[2][6] The inquiry was inconclusive and João Manuel was acquitted, but it resulted in the arrest of major Otto Heise [pt], two captains and some civilians from São Leopoldo, all German immigrants, who were later released.

[8] The transfer of army personnel to remote areas promoted earlier by Sebastião Barreto left the capital Porto Alegre defended only by a diminished force consisting of the local police and National Guard units.

Once Porto Alegre had been taken by the rebels, João Manuel moved to Alegrete with the 8th Battalion of Caçadores; from there he was called to help Marciano José Pereira Ribeiro as advisor to the office of provincial Commander of Arms.

Later, João Manuel moved to Caçapava do Sul in order to prepare to attack the coastal city of Rio Grande, which had strategic importance due to its port.