Prudente de Morais

Prudente José de Morais e Barros (Portuguese

ɾˈ ʃʒˈɛ ʒ ˈɾ ˈ ʁ
pronunciation: [p u dẽt i o z d i mo ajz i ba us]; 4 October 1841
His Excellency

– 3 December 1902) was the third President of Brazil. He is Prudente de Morais

notable as the first civilian president of the country, the first to
be elected by direct popular ballot under the permanent
provisions of Brazil's 1891 Constitution, and the first to serve his
term in its entirety. His presidency, which lasted from 15
November 1894 until 14 November 1898, was marked by the
War of Canudos, a peasant revolt in the northeast of the country
that was crushed by the Brazilian Army. He also had to face a
break in diplomatic relations with Portugal that was successfully
mediated by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Previously he had been the Governor of the State of São Paulo

and President of the Senate from 1891 to 1894. He was also
president of the Constituent Congress that drafted and approved
Brazil's 1891 Constitution.

The city of Presidente Prudente, located in the western part of

the State of São Paulo, is named after him.

His ancestry dated back to the early Portuguese settlers of 3rd President of Brazil
Brazil.[1][2]
In office

15 November 1894 – 14 November

1898
Contents Vice President Manuel Vitorino
Training and early career Preceded by Floriano Peixoto
As President of the Republic Succeeded by Campos Sales
References Personal details
External links Born 4 October 1841

Itu, São Paulo,

Empire of Brazil
Training and early career Died 3 December 1902
(aged 61)

Prudente de Morais was born in the vicinity of Itu (São Paulo) on Piracicaba, São
4 October 1841. At the age of three he lost his father, an animal
Paulo, Brazil
dealer, who was murdered by a slave. After his mother
remarried, Morais took up residence in the city, where he Nationality Brazilian
finished primary school. He graduated with a law degree from Political party Liberal Party (until
the Law School of São Paulo in 1863 (today's Faculty of Law of
1873)

the University of São Paulo) and moved to Piracicaba that same

Republican Party of
year. He practiced law there for two years and began his political
career in 1865. São Paulo (1873–
1893)

During the period of the Empire of Brazil, Morais belonged first Federal Republican
to the Liberal Party as a monarchist. He was elected an alderman Party (1893–1902)
in 1865, presiding over the city of Piracicaba.
 In 1873, he joined the Signature
Paulista Republican Party Other offices held
(PRP) and declared himself
1891–1894:

a republican as a
representative in the President of the Federal Senate
Provincial Assembly. 1890–1891:

President of the Constituent

He was a provincial deputy Assembly
in the city of São Paulo and
Morais Family, from left to right: deputy to the General 1890–1894:

Prudente Filho, Maria Amélia, Senator for São Paulo

Assembly of the Empire as a
Adelaide (wife), Paula, Gustavo,
supporter of the republican 1889–1890:

Carlota, Maria Teresa, Prudente,

form of government, President of São Paulo
Antônio and Julia, c. 1875.
abolition of slavery and
1889–1889:

federalism. As provincial
deputy, he worked with the Member of the São Paulo
complex issue of the borders of São Paulo with Minas Gerais, a Governing Junta
subject on which he was an expert. 1885–1886:

General Deputy for São Paulo

After the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, his Party began
to dominate national politics, and Moraes was elected to the 1881–1882:

Constituent Congress as Senator for São Paulo. Due to his Provincial Deputy, São Paulo
leading position in the Party, he was chosen by his peers as 1878–1879:

President of the Constituent Congress, that promulgated the Provincial Deputy, São Paulo
Brazil's first republican Constitution in 1891.
1868–1869:

Morais ran in the first Brazilian presidential election (conducted Provincial Deputy, São Paulo
by the Constituent Congress after the promulgation of the
Constitution and in accordance with its transitional provisions), but lost to incumbent Head of the
Provisional Government Deodoro da Fonseca. After that election and the inauguration of the first
President and Vice-President, the Congress's function as a Constituent Assembly ceased, and it
became an ordinary bicameral National Congress, whereupon Morais' role as President of the
Constituent Congress ended. Senator Prudente de Moraes was then elected Vice-President of the
Federal Senate, the Legislature's upper house. The Presidency of the Senate was vested by the
Constitution in the Vice-President of the Republic. In November 1891 however, President Deodoro da
Fonseca attempted to dissolve Congress and rule as a dictator, but after a few weeks he was forced to
resign the Presidency due to the First Revolt of the Navy; Vice-President Floriano Peixoto then
succeeded to the Presidency of the Republic, and the Vice-Presidency became vacant and remained so
until the next presidential election, in 1894. As a consequence, Morais, who until then was Vice-
President of the Senate, succeeded Peixoto as President of the Senate on 23 November 1891.[3]

As President of the Republic

In the contest for the succession of Floriano Peixoto, Morais was nominated by the Republican
Federal Party (Federal PR), founded by Paulo Glicerio Francisco in 1893. He won the presidential
election on 1 March 1894 and took office on 15 November that year, becoming the first president of
Brazil to be elected by direct vote and the first civilian president of Brazil. Prudente gleaned 276,583
votes against 38,291 for his main competitor, Afonso Pena. The election had more than 29 politicians
polled. His vice-president was Dr. Manuel Vitorino Pereira. His election marked the coming to power
of the coffee oligarchy of São Paulo (the "paulista oligarchy") in place of the military.

The four-year government of Prudente de Morais was shaken both by partisan political issues and
continued fighting in Rio Grande do Sul, the center of the Federalist Revolt (1893–1895). Early in his
government, he was able to resolve the latter difficulty by signing a peace treaty with the rebels, who
received amnesty.

Prudente de Morais (center) as
President of the Constituent
Congress, presides over the
swearing-in of Deodoro da Fonseca
as first President of the Republic
and of Floriano Peixoto as Vice-
President on 26 February 1891,
painting by Aurélio de Figueiredo
(Republic Museum, Rio de Janeiro).
President Morais shakes hands with
King Carlos I of Portugal during the
re-establishment of diplomatic
relations between Brazil and
Portugal after talks mediated by
Queen Victoria, 16 March 1895.
On 5 November 1897, during a military ceremony,
Morais withstood an attempt on his life.
Later, Prudente de Morais devoted all of his efforts to pacify the
policial factions within his country, which included extreme
advocates of the centralist policies of Floriano Peixoto and
supporters of the monarchy. During his rule, he abandoned the
innovative measures of Floriano Peixoto one by one. A gradual
approach was necessary since the Florianists still had some
influence, particularly in the army, and the vice-president was
connected to the ideas of the Florianists.
In 1896, he faced a diplomatic issue involving the British, who
saw fit to take possession of the island of Trinidade and Martim
Vaz in 1895, and the revolt of the Military School. He asserted his
authority by closing the school and military club. The diplomatic
issue was resolved favorably in favor of Brazil.
Prudente de Morais re-established relations with Portugal and
signed a Treaty of Friendship with Japan in November 1895 with
the aim of encouraging the arrival of Japanese immigrants.
But shortly after the rebel movement in Rio Grande do Sul, would
face an even greater challenge: the War of Canudos in the interior
of Bahia.
Forced to undergo surgery, Prudente de Morais retired from
power between 10 November 1896 and 4 March 1897, turning
over his responsibilities to Vice-President Vitorino. During this
interim, Vitorino transferred
the seat of government from
Itamaraty Palace to the
Catete Palace.
With the victory of the rebels
of Antônio Conselheiro in the
War of Canudos, the political
situation further
deteriorated. Prudente
interrupted his convalescence
and then appointed Minister
of War General Carlos
Machado Bittencourt to lead
a new expedition to defeat
the rebels.
Prudente de Morais, by Almeida
Júnior.
Internal differences within the PR and the War of
Canudos wore down the government. Even with the
victory of the government troops in the war, tensions
did not abate. On 5 November 1897, during a military
ceremony, Morais withstood an attempt on his life. He
escaped unhurt, but his war minister, Marshal Bittencourt, died defending him. The president
decreed a state of siege, for the former Distrito Federal (1891–1960) in order to get rid of his most
troublesome opponents.

The difficult economic and financial crisis inherited from the Encilhamento economic bubble took its
toll on the administration, mainly because of military spending and increased debt to foreign
creditors.

With the advice of his ministers of finance, Rodrigues Alves and Bernardino de Campos, Prudente
negotiated with British bankers to consolidate debt in a financial transaction known as funding loan,
based on the policy implemented by Joaquim Murtinho within four years.

In foreign policy, a boundary dispute with Argentina arbitrated by U.S. President Grover Cleveland
was resolved in favor of Brazil. Historians ascribe that diplomatic success to the efforts and diligence
of the Brazilian Government's representative, the Baron of Rio Branco, appointed by Morais to lead
the Brazilian delegation in the arbitration process.

References
1. http://www.buratto.net/doria/AntasMoraes.pdf
2. http://www.geneall.net/P/per_page.php?id=467900
3. "República Velha (1889 - 1930) - Senado Federal" (https://www25.senado.leg.br/web/senadores/r
epublica-velha). www25.senado.leg.br.

External links
Political offices
Preceded by
President of Brazil
Succeeded by

Floriano Peixoto 1894–1898 Campos Sales

Government offices
Governor of the State of São
Preceded by
Succeeded by

Paulo

None Jorge Tibiriça Piratininga

1889–1890

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