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Brazil Imperial Science
Imperial Science
The "imperial science" period lasted from 1808, when the
seat of the Portuguese
crown moved to Rio
de Janeiro because of the Napoleonic Wars, until the beginning
of the republican period in 1889. The first higher education
schools--a military academy in Rio de Janeiro, two medical schools, and two law schools--were created in the first years of
the "imperial science" period, and a few scientific institutions
started to appear. The search for new mineral riches and the effort
to adapt agricultural products known in Europe and other regions
to Brazil led to the creation of the first botanical gardens and
mineralogical collections.
Brazil became independent formally in 1822 and enjoyed a period
of political stability between 1840 and 1889, during the reign of
Emperor Pedro II (1840-89). New scientific institutions were created
in this post-independence period, such as the Museum of Natural
History, the Astronomical Observatory of Rio de Janeiro, and the
Imperial Geological Commission. Foreign scientists were invited
to head these institutions, and Pedro II himself was very active
not only in creating Brazilian institutions but also in supporting
science in Europe. The kind of science being developed in Brazil
in those years, although similar to that being developed in Europe,
was not subject to the same standards of quality as its European
model. The main economic activity in Brazil was the production of
coffee for the international market, based on slave labor. After
the 1850s, slave labor was replaced gradually by European and Japanese
immigrants, and a domestic market for food, textiles, and other
basic products started to develop.
Data as of April 1997
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