Their rulers were closer than ever, which in time would make them question why they needed governance from across the Atlantic at all. As a result of the new forms of governance that existed in Spanish America and Brazil, Spanish colonists resolved to separate themselves from their new French ruler, whereas the Brazilians drew away from Portugal. Spanish Americans had already begun resenting the Peninsulars, and had begun developing a new idea based on birthplace rather than race. This allowed them to present a united front when challenging the governance structures that existed in order to install their own leaders in emerging sovereign nations. Brazilian residents, who stood closer to their original monarch, began to chafe under new policies, such as the restriction of the slave trade. When the Portuguese demanded their monarch back after Napoleon’s defeat, Joao obliged, and left his son Pedro to rule Brazil. Brazil saw no reason to remain a colony, and Pedro took advantage of the growing tide with Portugal to remain in Brazil, announce his loyalty to the colony, and proclaim himself monarch of an independent
Their rulers were closer than ever, which in time would make them question why they needed governance from across the Atlantic at all. As a result of the new forms of governance that existed in Spanish America and Brazil, Spanish colonists resolved to separate themselves from their new French ruler, whereas the Brazilians drew away from Portugal. Spanish Americans had already begun resenting the Peninsulars, and had begun developing a new idea based on birthplace rather than race. This allowed them to present a united front when challenging the governance structures that existed in order to install their own leaders in emerging sovereign nations. Brazilian residents, who stood closer to their original monarch, began to chafe under new policies, such as the restriction of the slave trade. When the Portuguese demanded their monarch back after Napoleon’s defeat, Joao obliged, and left his son Pedro to rule Brazil. Brazil saw no reason to remain a colony, and Pedro took advantage of the growing tide with Portugal to remain in Brazil, announce his loyalty to the colony, and proclaim himself monarch of an independent