Brazil History Trivia

1. In the precolonial Brazil, the area that is now Sao Paulo was occupied by various native tribes headed by a cacique. What is the name of the cacique of the Tupiniquim tribe who converted to Christianity in the mid 16th century?

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Tibirica

At this time, the area that is now Sao Paulo was called Piratininga and was occupied by a number of native tribes, mostly Tupi people. The conversion of Cacique Tibirica was significant because it gave the Portuguese a key ally against the other tribes and allowed the Jesuit missionaries to do their work in relative safety. Tibirica changed his name to Martim Afonso after he converted and his daughter married into a wealthy Portuguese family.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: France

The French had occupied a tiny island off the Brazilian coast called Villegagnon Island. The French wanted to establish a colony in the southern hemisphere but the Treaty of Tordesillas split South America between Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese, led by Estacio de Sa, defeated the French. However, Estacio de Sa was killed in battle. Rio de Janeiro was then founded around 1567. The original land that made up Rio de Janeiro was inland and surrounded by mountains for protection.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Patio do Colegio

The Patio do Colegio is a Jesuit Church that was founded by a group of twelve Jesuits, most notably Jose de Anchieta. It was originally constructed in the same style as that the native tribes built their buildings but it was soon renovated in the colonial style. The original church collapsed in 1896 but it was rebuilt on the same spot in the same style.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Plots of fertile land

Sesmarias were plots of extremely fertile land perfect for growing sugarcane. Brazil was home to large amounts of fertile farmland used to finance the colony. Sugarcane was the most important and profitable but its cultivation required large amounts of slaves. By the late 1600s, well over half of Rio de Janeiro's population were slaves.

From Quiz Imperial Brazil

Answer: Dom Pedro I

Dom Pedro I, son of Portuguese King Dom João VI, was born in Portugal but came to Brazil as a child. Even though he became emperor of the newly born Brazilian Empire, he still played a significant role in Portuguese politics after 1822. He even interfered in the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834) to ensure his daughter, Maria da Glória, would be Queen of Portugal.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Paco Imperial

The Paco Imperial was just one of the crown residences in Brazil. When it was completed in 1743 it was called Casas dos Governadores or the Governor's House. It was renamed Paco dos Vice-Reis when the capital was moved to Rio in 1763. In 1808, it was renamed again to Paco Real when Prince John VI fled Portugal. It took the name Paco Imperial when Brazil became independent in 1822 as the Empire of Brazil. Paco Imperial was the center of politics in Rio de Janeiro and in all of Brazil until 1889, when Brazil became a republic.

From Quiz Imperial Brazil

Answer: Dom Pedro II was too young to assume the throne, so during some years a series of regents governed in his stead.

The Regency, which lasted from 1831 to 1840, was one of the most agitated and violent periods of Brazilian history, regional revolts aiming for secession or social change exploded everywhere, and were all duly quelled by the central government. Dom Pedro II's legal majority was changed in an attempt to unify the country politically, and he assumed the throne at the age of fourteen.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: To find gold

Gold had been discovered in the nearby region of Minas Gerais. Bandeirantes had set up their headquarters in Sao Paulo, which brought many wealthy people to the city. Bandeirantes were called such because they were said to be expanding the Portuguese presence (symbolized by flags) into Spanish controlled territory. The bandeirantes were initially hostile to the natives but had to change their tone because they could not survive going deeper into the continent without the natives' help.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Ipiranga Monument

The Ipiranga Monument is also known as the Monument to the Independence of Brazil and as the Altar of the Fatherland. The Ipiranga Monument was built in 1922 to celebrate Brazil's centennial anniversary. Inside the large monument is the crypt of the Brazilian Royal Family, which was built in 1972. It is also technically a Catholic cathedral and masses are often said there.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Constitutional monarchy

Ledo's choice to advocate for a monarchy was unusual as other New World countries feared tyrannical monarchs from their colonial days. Indeed, many Latin American nations were pushing toward a government like the U.S. However, Ledo quickly realized that any government not headed by a strong monarch would be overrun with the few but powerful wealthy plantation owners who were advocating against a monarchy. Ledo spread his views through Rio de Janeiro by printing a newspaper called Reverbero Constitucional Fluminense with fellow printer Januário da Cunha Barbosa. Because of this, Rio was the center of the movement for Brazilian independence.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Coffee

Sugar cane was once the dominant crop in Sao Paulo but by the mid 19th century, coffee had surged passed sugar cane. The demands of the coffee industry saw an influx of slaves and a steady increase in infrastructure building, especially of railways. It was also during the coffee boom that schools and universities were built.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Smallpox

Rio de Janeiro's infrastructure was suffering greatly by the early 20th century. The city's population was growing exponentially and the crowded city piled up with garbage. That combined with the poor sewage system led to numerous epidemics that ranged from typhus to leprosy and even bubonic plague. The Director General of Public Health Dr. Oswaldo Cruz founded the Brigadas Mata Mosquitos, a group of sanitation workers to clean up the city. He was also essential in the passage of the Mandatory Vaccination Law, which allowed the Brigadas Mata Mosquitos to forcibly enter people's homes and vaccinate them against smallpox that was threatening the city. The law, which was unpopular and confusing, led to riots and looting in the streets. Even the military turned against the government briefly. Ultimately, thirty people were killed and over a hundred injured. Smallpox was eradicated from the city but only after the riots calmed down.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Abolition of slavery

The Lei Aurea translates to Golden Law and refers to the abolition of slavery in Brazil. Sao Paulo's coffee plantations were almost entirely dependent on slave labor. With the abolition of slavery came money for plantation owners to hire immigrant laborers to avoid a complete economic collapse. However, plantation owners were still angry with Isabel and the monarchy in general and overthrew the Brazilian Empire by 1889.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Christ the Redeemer Statue

Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue, although it was built by Paul Landowski, a Polish-French artist. The idea for a statue of Christ in Rio was first proposed in the 1850s and a statue was indeed built but never displayed. It was proposed again in the 1920s and was approved. The statue needs near constant restoration because its location on Corcovado Mountain exposes it to frequent high winds and lightning strikes. The original stone used to create the statue is increasingly rare and as a result, the statue is gradually becoming darker over time as new stone is used.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: The dominance of Sao Paulo in Brazilian politics

During the Old Republic Period, Brazilian politics were almost entirely dominated by two states: Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Sao Paulo was famous for its coffee production and Minas Gerais for its dairy. Sao Paulo was the strongest of the two so the situation became known as "coffee with milk". The presidents of Brazil typically alternated between someone from Sao Paulo and someone from Minas Gerais.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Uruguay won 2-1

Brazil was the heavy favorite not only because they were the home team but also because they only needed a tie score to win. Brazil was actually leading the game at one point but Uruguay pulled ahead 2-1. The term Maracanazo was coined at this match. It refers to a situation in which a narrow loss leaves a devastating impact on the loser. It usually applies to sports but can apply to anything.

From Quiz History of Sao Paulo

Answer: Getulio Vargas

Sao Paulo was growing stronger, more populous and more powerful as the years went on. In 1930, the Sao Paulo candidate, Julio Prestes won the election. This broke with the coffee and milk policy that had been in place for decades. Leaders from Minas Gerais aligned with other states and led a coup against Prestes. Prestes never took office and went into exile. In 1932, Vargas went to Sao Paulo where the people rebelled but he remained in office. Five people were killed in the protests. The military quashed the rebellion later in 1932. Vargas would later exploit fear of Communism to become a dictator until he was thrown out of office in 1945 but he returned in 1951 and served until he committed suicide three years later.

From Quiz History of Rio de Janeiro

Answer: Candelaria Church

The story goes that the eight victims, who ranged in age from 11-20, threw rocks at police cars but were given a warning. However, later that night police opened fire on a group of dozens of children. The children were street kids who frequently slept outside the Candelaria Church. Several of shooters were tried but only two were convicted. The incident is called the Candelaria Massacre and is one of the most notable cases of police brutality in history.

From Quiz Imperial Brazil

Answer: The Golden Law - "Lei Aurea"

Many pressure groups fought a relentless struggle for emancipation: intellectuals, urban workers, students, escaped negroes, among others. The process was carried out without any immediate violence, though slavery left a horrific scar on Brazilian society. An it cost the Emperor the support of his main backers: the great south-eastern coffe planters, one of the many reasons for his fall.

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