Bernardo Vieira de Melo was the first
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte (, , ) is one of the states of Brazil. It is located in the northeastern region of the country, forming the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. The name literally translates as "Great Northern River", ref ...
in the
colony of Brazil
Colonial Brazil ( pt, Brasil Colonial) comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a kingdom in union with Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Dur ...
.
Family
Vieira was born in the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of
Muribeca (today
Jaboatão dos Guararapes
Jaboatão dos Guararapes () is a city in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. It is a part of the Recife metro area. The population was 706,867 according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2020, making it the second most- ...
) in 1658, and began life as a colonial Brazilian backwoodsman. He was the son of Captain Bernardo Vieira de Melo and Maria Camelo de Melo, and grandson of António de Vieira Melo who arrived in
Pernambuco
Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...
, coming from
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in 1654, shortly after the
Dutch invasion. He married Catarina Leitão, daughter of Captain Gonçalo Leitão Arnoso.
Career
Vieira entered the military in 1675 and was made a captain-general on November 17, 1691. On January 8, 1695, he was appointed Captain-General of Rio Grande do Norte, and on September 25, 1709 Sergeant Major of the Third of Palmares, in which position he took an active part in
War of the peddlers. In November 1710, Vieira was the first to call for the creation of a Republic in Brazil, an act for which he was arrested in
Recife
That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15)
, image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg
, mapsize = 250px
, map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco
, pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
in 1712 and shipped to
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
with his son, André. He died in the Limoeiro prison in 1718.
See also
*
Mascate War
The War of the Mascates might be more accurately called an insurrection; the main events occurred in and around Recife, Pernambuco during 1710 and 1711. Some consider the underlying causes lasted for two centuries. The two sides were the landed eli ...
*
History of Pernambuco
The history of Pernambuco can be roughly divided into two periods: first, when the region was a Portuguese Empire, colony of Portugal and, second, when it was a component of the nation of Brazil. Not to be overlooked, however, are the established ...
References
1658 births
1718 deaths
People from Jaboatão dos Guararapes
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