Pernambucan revolt

Pernambuco revolt
Blessing of the Flags of the 1817 Revolution, by Antônio Parreiras
Date 1817 Location Captaincy of Pernambuco, Brazil Result Portuguese victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves	Rebels of Pernambuco and allies from Paraíba and Ceará.
Commanders and leaders
King John VI Marcos de Noronha e Brito	Domingos José Martins Antônio de Andrada Frei Caneca

The Pernambucan revolt of 1817, also known as the Priest's Revolution or Seventeen, occurred in the Captaincy of Pernambuco in the Northeastern region of Brazil, and was sparked mainly by the decline of sugar production rates and the influence of the Freemasonry^[1] in the region. Other important reasons for the revolt include: the ongoing struggle for the independence of Spanish colonies all over in South America; the independence of the United States; the generally liberal ideas that came through all of Brazil the century before, including many French Philosophers, such as Charles Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; the actions of secret societies, which insisted on the liberation of the colony; the development of a distinct culture in Pernambuco.^[2]

The movement was led by Domingos José Martins, with the support of Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada and Frei Caneca. The Consulate General of the United States in Recife, America's oldest diplomatic post in the Southern Hemisphere, publicly supported the Pernambucan revolutionaries.^[3]

This revolution is also notable for being one of the first attempts to establish an independent government in Brazil, as it was preceded by the Inconfidência Mineira.

Contrasting with the Inconfidência Mineira, that at its demise culminated in the killing of a lower class white man (Tiradentes) or the Revolt of the Tailors, whose leaders that where killed were mostly black young men, the Pernambucan revolt ended up with the killing of white, higher-class ringleaders.^[4]

The revolt can be traced from the presence of the Portuguese royal family in Brazil, which mostly benefited the plantation owners, merchants and bureaucrats of the Central and Southern regions of the country. The inhabitants of other regions, namely the Northeast, were not satisfied by the monarch's stay, given that southern Brazilians generally had knowledge of the favors and new privileges conceded to them by the Portuguese monarch from which they had received great wealth. The northern Brazilians were generally separated from the monarch, and the benefits thereof, but, at the same time, had the responsibility to support him.^[5]

Another group not content with the politics of the King John VI of Portugal and Brazil were military officials of Brazilian descent. In order to protect the cities and provide aid in military actions in French Guiana and in the region of Prata, John brought troops from Portugal in order to organize military forces reserving the highest military ranks for the Portuguese nobility. Because of this, the level of taxes steadily rose as the colony was forced to maintain the expenditures of the military campaigns.^[5]

The historical analyst, Maria Odila Silva Dias, remarked that "in order to cover the costs of installing public works and civil servants, taxes on the export of sugar, tobacco and leather were increased, creating a series of troubles that directly affected the capitanias of the North, which the Court did not hesitate to burden with the violence of recruitment and with contributions to cover the expenses of war in the kingdom, in Guiana and in the Prata region. For the governors and functionaries of various capitanias, turning to Lisboa or to Rio was the same thing."^[5]

Another factor was the conception of "Brazil". Until then, "Brazil" was a generic name to several Portuguese possessions on the New World, and even the United States referred to those possessions as plural, "Brazils'". The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was recently declared on 1815, and for the first time Brazil was seen as part of one kingdom. In general, the provincial matters were prevalent over national matters, and the idea of a "Brazilian people" didn't exist.^[6]

The Northeastern region had already been affected by a famine causing a blow to cotton and sugar production in 1816, and creating another reason for the fervent desire for independence. In Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, and in the principal ports of the region, this desire and a general feeling of hostility toward the Portuguese was particularly extreme. The general sentiment was described as the "Portuguese of New Lisbon" exploit and oppress the "Pernambucan patriots."^[5]

Liberal ideas that entered Brazil by way of foreign travelers, books, and other sources incited the revolutionaries. Also, secret societies had formed from the end of the 18th century, often in the form of Masonic Lodges, several of which, such as Patriotismo, and Restauração, had existed in Pernambuco – all of which served as locations for the spreading and general discussion of the so-called "infamous French ideas", coming from the French Revolution.^[5][7] The Northern Lodges, including the ones of Pernambuco, were of English tradition and advocated for the implementation of a republic in Brazil. They had a quarrel of the Fluminense and Portuguese Lodges, of French tradition, that advocated for the implementation of a constitutional monarchy.^[8]

Inicially, the Governor of Pernambuco Caetano Pinto was seen as a good administrator and a reasonable and just man, that listened to both the royalty and the population. But in from 1808 on, he became known amongst the population for being weak, corrupt, a bad administrator and responsible for excessive taxes.^[9][10]

In 1816, The Masonic Lodges intensively spread political propaganda in Pernambuco. The Government made several attempts to stop them.^[7] The revolt was planned specially by the descendants of the War of the Mascates, that in few generations became one of the most powerful social class in Brazil.^[6] The Freemasons attempted to raise hostility amongst the Portuguese and Pernambucans and to get support from the Clergy, the local elite and the armed forces, that showed support for the conspirators.^[8] In total, 43 clergy men took part of the revolution.^[11] Despite their strong support in favor of the local elites, ony a fraction of the engenho owners supported Freemasons, but several of them showed support after the start of the revolt.^[6]

The Fluminense Freemasons were being sistematically excluded from the republican groups. They were aware of their differences with the Pernambucan Freemasons and nominated Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada as ombudsman of Olinda to control them.^[6]

Secret meeting were held inside churches, clubs, military facilities, and other private social spaces. There, radical political ideas were debated and forbitten literature was read. The pasquinades written on those meetings were spread on the walls of the city.^[11] Amongst the forbitten literature studied by the republicans were the French Constitutions of 1791, 1793 and 1795 and The Constitutions of the Free-Masons , by Benjamin Franklin.^[6]

Despite the adherence of the elites, their ideals were not nearly as much spread to the population. There were many troops from Dom João VI in the streets, and as consequence the republican ideals were maily discussed in private spaces.^[12] Several people that partook on the revolt didn't know they were fighting against the Portuguese royalty, as they felt it was an inssurection against a bad administrator, and were waiting for a better person to be named as Governor by Dom João VI. The masonic leaders would only talk about the independence of Pernambuco amongst the iniciated, hiding crucial information from the so called "mongrels".^[6] Slaves were already organized, waiting for a chance to act.^[11]

In 1816, a slave reported the Tenants José Paulino de Almeida e Albuquerque and Antonio Vieira Cavalcante to the authorities. The slave was freed and Albuquerque and Cavalcante were arrested on the Snake Island, being later freed on 14 February.^[7] In 1817, the government suspected the Franciscan friar Antônio das Neves was one of the responsible for spreading political propaganda in Pernambuco.^[11]

The Pernambucan revolt happened almost simultaniously with other Freemason conspiracies on Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon and Bahia. On Lisbon, the Portuguese Royalty discovered a Plot to substitute the Braganca for the Cadaval. On Bahia, Marcos de Noronha e Brito was accused of betraying Dom João VI, and plans were made in Recife to split Brazil in five different kingdoms. On Rio, there was a plan of forcing Dom João VI to sign a new Constitution.^[6]

It is believed the revolt was scheduled to 16 March 1817.^[12] Shortly before the revolt, Domingos José Martins and the priest João Ribeiro ended relationships with the Tenant Colonel Alexandre Tomás, a fellow Freemason probably from the French rite.^[8]

The Governor Caetano Pinto received a report about the conspiracy on 1 March. On 4 March, he made his troops swear obedience to the monarchy and the harmony between Brazilians and Portuguese and on the 5th he made a speech to Recife population, saying that Brazil would be elevated to an United Kingdom and all of them obeyed the same king.^[12]

On the 6th, he issued an arrest order to several Freemasons of the English rite. Amongst the accused were three artillery Captains, Domingos Teotônio Pessoa de Melo, José de Barros Lima and Pedro da Silva Pedroso. The Brigadeer Manoel Joaquim Barbosa de Castro went to Forte de São Tiago das Cinco Pontas to fulfill the order, but he was murdered by Lima. Most of the officials unleashed their swords in support of the conspirators and two Portuguese officials fled.^[8][12]

After a few hours, the conspirators filled the streets and Caetano Pinto and his family fled to Forte de São João Batista do Brum. He then was obligated to renounce his post as governor and fled to Rio de Janeiro.^[12]

During the revolt, many slaves fled to the Catucá woods, near Beberibe River.^[11]

Shortly after, Martins organized elections for the Provincial Government of the Republic. Elections were barely unseen in Brazil, as they only happened to choose aldermen to the municipal chambers. Most of the candidates for the new government were tied to the local elites, but there were exceptions, such as Joaquim Ramos de Almeida and Tomás Antônio Ferreira Vila Nova, tied to subordinate groups.^[12]

On 9 March, the leaders of the revolt signed the "Preciso" manifesto, written by José Luís Mendonça. The work accused Caetano Pinto of helping the court to oppress the rights of the Pernambucans and declared their intentions of creating a Provisional government chosen by 17 people. The document served as a provisional Constitution, as the leaders didn't have time to write a proper one.^[6][12]

The voting process happened on Casa do Erário, with the electorial college composed of Luiz Francisco de Paula Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, José Inácio Ribeiro de Abreu e Lima, Joaquim Ramos de Almeida, Francisco de Brito Bezerra Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Joaquim José Vaz Salgado, Antônio Joaquim Ferreira de S. Paio, Francisco de Paula Cavalcanti, Felipe Nery Ferreira, Joaquim d’Anunciação e Siqueira, Tomás Ferreira Vila Nova, José Maria de Vasconcelos Bourbon, Francisco de Paula Cavalcanti Júnior, Tomás José Alves de Siqueira, João de Albuquerque Maranhão and João Marinho Falcão.^[12]

João Ribeiro Pessoa de Melo Montenegro, Domingos Teotônio Jorge Martins Pessoa, José Luís de Mendonça and Manoel Correia de Araújo were elected as representants of the new government.^[12] They were chosen as a way to represent the most important social classes at a time: commerce, military, clergy, alphabeptized and land-owners.^[6]

According to the Government, they would represent the Executive and Legislative powers until the approval of a proper Constitution, and if the Constitution wasn't approved in one year, the power would be given back to the people. The Executive power was controlled by the elected members of the Provisional Government. The Legislative power was controlled by six people chosen by the Municipalities, as long as they were patriots and good administrators, and weren't relatives up second degree with the Secretary of Estate of Internal and External Matters, the Treasury Inspector and the Bishop. The government was helped by a Council, and any matters should be decided with the majority of the votes, but only the Government could sign laws. The presidency of the Government changed weekly, and their members had parliamentary immunity, except for the secretaries. Until the approval of the Constitution, governamental roles such as the reasury Inspector answered to the Government.^[6]

The Judiciary was composed of two Ordinary Judges, one for criminal matters and other for civil matters, already in function prior to the revolt. Their decisions could be appealed to the Supreme College of Justice, made up by five lifetime members, that could only be substituted with a criminal sentence. The role of ombudsman was extinguished, with his functions being delegated to the Ordinary Judges. Military crimes were dealt with a separate institution. For the time, the old laws were applied, until a National Law was approved.^[6]

The official religion of the estate was Catholicism, and the clergy was paid by the estate. Despite that, there would be tolerance for religious dissidencies.^[6]

For the Municipalities, the old bicameral system was mantained.^[6]

People that chose to naturalize on the new estate, including foreginers, as long as they were Christians and accepted by a Governamental act, would be granted a Governamental job.^[6]

Manuel José Pereira Caldas was asked to write the text of the Constitution, but he delegated the role to Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrade. A sketch of the new Consitution was approved by the Provisional Government on 29 March. There were doubts about the inclusion free blacks on the representative system.^[6]

Part of the leadership and the main supporters of the revolt wanted to create a constitucional monarchy, but they were the minority and were disincentivized by the Military and their peers. José Luís de Mendonça proposed the negociation with the Portuguese Court for the reduction of taxes and the limitation of power from the Governors, but Domingos José Martins repudiated his ideas and expressed his wishes of killing him. From there on, José Luís de Mendonça was isolated from the provisional government. Manoel Correia de Araújo was sympathetic of Mendonça's ideas, but he decided to abstain from further commentaries. Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrade tried to support the negociation with the Crown, but he was persuated by Domingos José Martins and João Ribeiro.^[6]

One of the first laws approved by the Provisional Government was an amnesty law. The new Legal Code should be voted by the Municipalities through assemblies; a way of avoiding the conservative bicameral system of creating a counter-revolution. The assemblies happened in Recife, Olinda, and Iguaraçu, but they were suspended due allegations of sabotage by the "enemies of the liberal cause", that were suposedly using religious cerimonies to convince the population that the revolutionaries wanted to destroy religion and free the slaves.^[6]

On economical matters, the Provisional Government incentivated agriculture over commerce. Amongst their actions was the abolishment of the interest from the Companhia Geral de Comércio de Pernambuco e Paraíba in 1780, as long as the debt was paid in two years. They were also worried with subsistence agriculture, and incentived the small land owners that were part of their militias to return to their lands.^[6]

After the Government was stablished, there were much more effords to spread the republican ideals to the population. The government used communication strategies inherited from the colonial times, such as bando, where a declaration was read on the streets to the sound of battery.^[12]

The press was also used. The Government declared freedom of speech on the revolting estates.^[6] The republicans used the thypography from the English James Pinche to print pro-government proclamations. As there were no typhographers, the work was done by Pinche himself, two priests and one French sailor.^[12]

On 6 March, Captains and militias from Igaracy, Goiana and Itamaracá marched to Recife in suport of the revolt. The regions of mata seca and várzea do Paraíba also showed support, but mata úmida partook on counter-revolutionary actions.^[6]

The sugar and cotton producers from Mata Norte and Parnaíba quickly showed suport for the revolt, but not the producers from Mata Sul. They did send militias to Recife, but the new republic suffered resistance on the region up until the end. The Provisional Government confiscated 44 engenhos from conservative land-owners. Francisco Pais Barreto, one of the most powerful landowners from the region, joined the revolt with the objective of controlling the rural militias. The Alencar family and André de Albuquerque Maranhão also showed support.^[6]

The revolt extended to Ceará, Paraíba and to Rio Grande. According to a letter sent by João Ribeiro to the Provisiory Government of Paraíba on 31 March 1817, there were intentions of creating a Republic amongst them. The Provisional Government hoped the South of Brazil would eventually join the revolution, but in case that didn't happen, the North would be easier to persuade for being further away from the Crown, and the new state would be able to mantain itself independent. But, despite their intentions of creating a republic, the other states feared of being subordinated to Pernambuco.^[6]

The Provisory Government of Parnaíba took several economic measures, including the abolition of several taxes, the monopolization of Brazilwood, equalizing the customs rights for all nations and cutting the export taxes over cottom in 50%. The Government also abolished the bicameral system, what was criticized by João Ribeiro.^[6]

The Revolt was notified by Hipólito José da Costa on Correio Braziliense. The journal wrongly stated the states of Maranhão, Itamaracá and Pará also joined the republicans, and most of the coverage happened after the end of the Revolt.^[13]

The royalists were afraid of the influence the Pernambucan revolt could have on Brazil, that could lead for the complete independence of South America,^[6] and thus began an intense vigil of the Brazilian cost, to avoid support from the Spanish America and the United States.^[14]

Colonel Suassuna, despite of being considered suspicious by Domingos José Martins for his sympathy with the Fluminense Freemasons, was sent by Antônio Carlos to the south of Pernambuco as Commander of a section of the republican troops to stop the advancement of the royal troops from Bahia. He tried to negociate with General Congominho, reassuring the support of the constitucionalist Freemasons to Dom João VI cause.^[6]

Another troop was sent to the south of Pernambuco, this time under the command of Domingos José Martins. Suassuna resisted the new command, and the troops were kept independend from eachother.^[6]

Alagoas showed resistance since the very beginning and created guerrilas on mata sul. They were defeated in Utinga, so they changed their strategy and proceeded to isolate the South of Recife. The revolutionaries were forced to retreat to Candeias, as they thought the Bahia Army was arround the Persinunga River. But the Army advanced without suffering any kind of resistance, and was already in Sirinhaém. The Revolutionary Army tried to retreat, but it was defeated in Merepe and Ipojuca. As the time of their defeat, the Revolutionary Army was mostly made out of several companies that were agregated during the campaign, including farmers, engenho workers, Alagoan indians and a pardo company from Penedo.^[6]

Two months later Recife was surrounded by sea and land by troops of the Portuguese monarch. The revolution, soon after, was dismantled.^[2]

Moments before the imminent faliure, several of the leaders renaunced their positions, but according to the crown João Ribeiro stood until the very end.^[11]

Before the fall of the movement, the revolutionaries sought out the support of the United States, Argentina and England, without success. Known casualties of the conflict include the eventual execution of the rebel leaders: Domingos José Martins, José Luis de Mendonça, Domingos Teotônio Jorge and the Catholic priests Miguelinho and Pedro de Sousa Tenório. The corpses of the condemned were later mutilated by having their hands and heads cut off. Other corpses were dragged by their heads to a burial ground.^[15]

On 15 September 1817, Tomás Antônio Vila Nova Portugal revoked the license of James Pinche's press.^[12]

On 3 March, President James Madison signed the Neutrality Law of 1817, declaring neutrality over the Spanish American wars of independence. The official Diplomat of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, José Correia da Serra, was personal friends of James Madison, John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson and supported the creation of the Law, to avoid turmoil on Brazilian soil.^[12] At a time, Brazil was also seen by investors, such as Henry Hill, as a promising new market after the end of the War of 1812, and Correia da Serra was sought for investments on machinery and other products. Many of those merchants, including the future President John Quincy Adams, were eager to end the dependency of Brazil to the Portuguese Crown to expand their businesses. Despite that, the American-Portuguese relations grew, and Rio de Janeiro was the only South American city to have an embassy from the United States. Yet another important factor was the location of Pernambuco, that, differently from other South American countries, it was located in the middle of the Portuguese kingdom, making it hard for American supporters to send help.^[11]

News about the revolt reached the USA through Charles Bowen, that left Recife on 13 March. He disembarked on the Port of Norfolk and gave the news to the Norfolk Herald. The journal notified the arrival of the diplomat and soon other journals published about the revolt, including the Washington-based National Intelligencer, Georgetown Messenger, The Philadelphia Aurora, Niles Weekly Register and Baltimore Patriot, that published "Preciso" in English. The journals were overall favorable for the republican cause. Despite that, some outlets, such as Georgetown Messenger, expected the revolt not to last much.^[11][12] Two other American sailors, Seebohn and one unknown, were supporters of the Revolution and spread the news in US soil, creating certain sympathy within Americans. Bowen then met the Governor and spoke about the revolution. Correia da Serra thus left to Washington D.C. on 31 May to speak against Bowen's audience, but it was considered legit.^[14]

Antonio Gonçalves da Cruz, known as Cruz Cabugá, was nominated Diplomat in the United States and, together with Domingos Pires Ferreira, that served as a translator,^[14] left Recife on 6 April.^[12][13] They brought 60:000$000 to buy ammunition and hiring mercenaries.^[14] Cabugá was instructed as not to create fights against Correia da Serra, as he was well regarded in American soil.^[11]

Cruz Cabugá reached Boston on 15 May, with journals such as Boston Daily Advertiser and Philadelphia Aurora praising his arrival.^[12] There, he bought ammunition and sent it to Pernambuco. Disappointed for not being able to talk with important political figures, Cabugá went to Philadelphia. On 4 June, the President sent Caesar Augustus Rodney, member of a commission for South American matters, and Willian Jones, President of the Federal Reserve, to Philadelphia to speak with Cabugá in private. The conversation happened on 6 June, where it was explained there was little the president could do for several reasons, including that the recognition of Pernambuco was an attribution of the American Congress. Cabugá, then, explained he wasn't looking for recognition of Pernambuco, as probably it would create hostilities with the United Kingdom. As a consequence of the meeting, bilateral agreements were made, where, even though the USA didn't recognized Pernambuco, merchant ships using the revolt's flag were allowed to enter in the USA, that the USA wouldn't consent to a blockage of the Pernambucan ports, Pernambuco was allowed to buy American ammunition and Cabugá wouldn't be recognized as an emissary from Pernambuco due the USA's involvement with European countries.^[11]

Two days later, Cabugá received permission to meet Richard Rush. He went to New York City and then to Washington, D.C.. During his travel, Cabugá went to Port of Baltimore, Maryland, where he bought ammunition and, together with the ones he bought in Boston, sent to Pernambuco within two ships. He bought 300 pistols, 300 sabers for light cavalry, 1,000 light hunting shotguns, 2,000 light shotguns similar to the ones used by the French Army, 200 pistols for the cavalry, 2,000 light hunting pistols, and 7,000 infantry shotguns.^[11] According to Correia da Serra, the ships were named Hoop Packet and Pinguim. Due the failure of Correia da Serra to stop Cabugá's actions, he advised Dom João VI to maintain vigilance over American ships to stop the ammunition to reach Brazil. Nonetheless, the ships arrived after the end of the Revolution. According to sailors intercepted by the Portuguese government, Pinguim headed to Gibraltar, but sank. The Portuguese authorities suspected the sailors were lying and arrested them, and thus heard about the plans to free Napoleon. Later, it was discovered the information was indeed a lie.^[14] The ship Sally Dana was also sent with supplies. It was supposedly commissioned by the American Consul Joseph Ray.^[11]

The meeting with Rush happened on 14 June. He sent documents addressed to the President about the revolution. The meeting was the first encounter of a Brazilian diplomat with a Minister of Foreign Affairs.^[11][12][14] There, he was spied by the monarchists and suffered heavy resistance from Correia da Serra, that accused the American Government from spreading revolutions for not doing anything against Cabugá. Cabugá's pleadges weren't heard by Joseph Ray and Thomas Jefferson showed interest in signing a trade deal with Brazil, sending the ship Brackenridge in a diplomatic mission.^[14]

On 20 August, the revolt showed clear signs of decline, and Cruz Cabugá appealed for the President to send help for the rebels to avoid bloodshed.^[12]

After the failure of the revolt, Cruz Cabugá stayed on the United States, and on 21 May 1818, he was part of a dinner with other South-American rebels on Pennsylvania, where they proclaimed revenge against the martyrs of Pernambuco.^[12]

Argentine historian Emilio Ocampo investigated the life of Carlos María de Alvear, and found British documents about a Bonapartist plot in Pernambuco to free Napoleón Bonaparte, and take him to some strategic location in South America, in order to create a new Napoleonic Empire. Alvear's plans were never carried out because of the defeat of the revolution.^[16]

Cruz Cabugá was also sent to United States to contact Joseph Bonaparte and try to hire French soldires for the Pernambucan cause. Joseph and his allies fled to the USA in search of a job, as they declined to swear allignance to Louis XVIII. Joseph then proposed the republicans to help freeing Napoleon from the Island of Saint Helena using Fernando de Noronha as a scape rout to New Orleans. Despite the inicial Portuguese ressentiment towards Napoleon for the transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil, the anti-Braganca sentiment was such that many involved with the revolt supposedly suported the conspiracy to release the French monarch.^[11][14]

The ship Paragon, left the USA for an unknown destination, and raised Correia da Costa's suspission as it was carrying Colonel Latapie, Louis-Adolphe Le Doulcet, Artong and Raulet, all of which had ties with Napoleon. According to Ferreira da Costa, Colonel Latapie told him that they went to Brazil to inform José Bonaparte about the revolution to cary on the plans to free Napoleon, but on the date of the emissary's arrival, the Pernambuco revolutionaries were already besieged by Portuguese monarchist troops and close to surrender. Le Doulcet stayed on Baía Formosa, Rio Grande do Norte, where José Inácio Borges found him a job as a doctor and botanist, and Latapie, Artong and Raulet carried on to Paraíba.^[11][14]

Napoleon's four veterans, Count Pontelécoulant, Colonel Latapie, orderly Artong and soldier Roulet, were arrested in Paraíba by the Governor Tomás de Sousa Mafra and later sent to Recife, where they were interrogated by the Governor Luís do Rego. All of them said that alegedly were looking for a job, and Rego freed them, but sent spies to follow their steps. Le Doulcet came from Rio Grande do Norte and joined his companions, and they were found guilty as all of them were attending Joseph Ray's house, the American Consul, as since his arrival in Brazil he was accused of hiding rebels in his house. Rego ordened their arrest, and during the police operation, the secretary Jorge Fleming Holdt, three men and a mulatta woman and her baby were also arrested. They confessed their real intentions in Brazil, with Latapie being the one who talked the most. Dom João asked for the deposition of Joseph Ray, and his wishes were granted by the American President Quincy Adams.^[11][16]

On 10 March, the republicans send a letter through the American ship Sally Dana for the Governor of Mozambique José Francisco de Paula Cavalcante de Albuquerque. He was a Freemason known for trying to approach Grand Orient de France and Grand Orient of Portugal. The royalists speculated the rebels wanted to bring him to Pernambuco. The letter was never answered and it is not known if it arrived to the recipient.^[8]

The revolt was notified in journals from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, such as O Censor and a Gazeta de Buenos-Ayres.^[13]

Correio Braziliense reported that Felix José Tavares Lira was named a Diplomat for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He was supposedly sent to Buenos Aires to negociate with the rebels in Paraguay. The journal would later retract, saying it was a mistake, but several historians considered the information real.^[13]

Pedro de Souza Tenório was asked to be the Diplomat in the region but he declined.^[13]

The Britain Crown supported the Portuguese Crown, and Lord Castlereagh expressed relief for the reduced influence the revolt had.^[6]

Hipólito José da Costa was asked to be the Diplomat in London, but he refused.^[13]

The conspiracy was inspired by the French Revolution and the American Revolution. It sought to cut ties from the monarchy and stablish a republic controlled by the local elites.^[12] One big influence for the revolt ideals was Condorcet. His philosopphy, known as physiocracy, supported a system where civil rights were given to all, but not political rights. Instead, politics would be controlled by the land owners. Those ideas also impacted the position of the Government over slavery. According to the Government, they deemed every men equal and they yearned for a slow transition towards abolitionism, but property was the base of society and should be respected.^[6]

The involved parties considered the revolution to be the second restauration of Pernambuco, as the first was the expulsion of the Dutch in 1654. There was a strong nationalistic sentiment amongst them, besides an antagonism against the Portuguese.^[12]

Shortly after the establishment of the Provincial Government of the Republic, all the monarchic symbols were abolished and a new calendar was established, with the starting point at the beginning of the revolution. There were also plans to establish a flag and Constitution similar to the United States^[12] and a new Constitution based on the United States Bill of Rights, where Brazil would be transformed into a federation.^[11]

In the peak of the revolt, one finds that the strongest Pernambucan patriots marked their identity in several methods – including drinking aguardente instead of wine and host made of wheat.^[5]

Further patriotic feelings were expressed with the chants:

The general layout of the flag used by the revolutionaries still endures today, as the flag of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The first flag was formed from the requirement for a flag to replace the Portuguese flag that had been hauled down from the Recife fort after the provisional government took control of the city. The government originally considered hoisting the French tricolor, but instead appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Father João Ribeiro Pessoa to develop a design. The design was copied in watercolor by the Rio de Janeiro artist Antônio Álvares—a painting that still existed when Ribeiro was writing in the 1930s—essentially the same as the modern state flag with the field dark blue over white, a single star above the rainbow. The flags were produced by the tailor José Barbosa, who was also a captain in the militia. The first flag was publicly blessed by the dean of the Recife cathedral on 21 March 1817.^[17]

In 1917, the same flag became the official banner of the current state.

According to its physical description, the flag's features signify the following: "The blue color in the upper rectangle symbolizes the grandeur of the Pernambuco sky. The color the white area is for peace. The three-colored rainbow represents the union of all the people of Pernambuco. The star indicates the state within the grouping of the Federation. The sun is the force and energy of Pernambuco, and finally, the cross represents our faith in justice and mutual understanding."^[18]

• Rebellions and revolutions in Brazil
• History of Brazil
• Northeastern Brazil
• Pernambuco
• Frei Caneca
• Politics of Pernambuco

• Description of Revolt (in Portuguese)