Proclamation of the Brazilian Republic and fall of the monarchy

Background. Emperor Pedro II reigned from 1831 until his deposition in 1889. His health declined in 1887, leading to medical treatment in Europe. The abolition of slavery in 1888 without compensation alienated large landowners, removing a key pillar of support for the monarchy. Conservative groups also faced friction with the Catholic Church, creating political instability that facilitated the military coup.

The Coup. On November 15, 1889, military officers led by Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca staged a coup in Rio de Janeiro. Initially intended to overthrow the Viscount of Ouro Preto, the action resulted in the proclamation of the republic. Deodoro, who had been scheduled to act later, anticipated the move. The coup occurred without violence, deposing the Emperor and the President of the Council of Ministers.

Imperial Family. The supplied passages do not document the exile of the imperial family, the November 17 date, or a Petrópolis departure; these details appear only in legacy-row hints without passage support. The passages establish only that Princess Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, headed the government that abolished slavery entirely in 1888 during her third regency while her father was away from the country, and that Pedro II died in December 1891.