Constitutionalist insurrection breaks out at Oporto

Background. Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, was the starting point for the Liberal Revolution of 1820. Influenced by the Trienio Liberal in Spain, a military insurrection erupted in Porto. The revolutionaries sought to restore metropolitan dignity by demanding the immediate return of the royal court from Brazil, where it had fled during the Peninsular War.

Political Demands. The insurrection in Porto quickly spread without resistance to other Portuguese cities. The revolutionaries demanded the immediate return of the royal court to continental Portugal to restore its dignity. Furthermore, they insisted on the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Portugal, which later led to the ratification of the 1822 Constitution.

Immediate Consequences. The revolution resulted in the return of the Portuguese court to Portugal in 1821. Upon his arrival from Brazil, King John VI was forbidden to disembark in Lisbon. The event initiated a constitutional period, although subsequent political disputes led to the independence of Brazil in 1822.