Brazil celebrates Independence Day on September 7, marking its 1822 declaration of independence from Portugal.
On September 7, 1822, Pedro, prince regent of Brazil, declared independence from Portugal near the Ipiranga River in São Paulo. The event is traditionally associated with the cry “Independência ou Morte!”—“Independence or Death!”
Pedro became Emperor Pedro I after Brazil’s independence was consolidated. National celebrations today feature military and civic parades, concerts, flag displays, and public festivities. Brasília and other major cities host prominent commemorative events.
Brazil’s independence process differed from many Spanish American struggles because the Portuguese royal court had moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1808. Pedro remained in Brazil after his father, King João VI, returned to Portugal, helping shape the country’s path to separation.