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The Ragamuffin War (Portuguese: ''Guerra dos Farrapos'' or ''Revolução Farroupilha'') was a
Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
an uprising that began in southern
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, in the province (current state) of
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most-populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is border ...
in 1835. The rebels were led by generals Bento Gonçalves da Silva and Antônio de Sousa Neto with the support of the Italian fighter
Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pa ...
. The war ended with an agreement between the two sides known as Green Poncho Treaty (Portuguese: ) in 1845. Over time, the revolution acquired a separatist character and influenced separatist movements throughout the entire country such as the Liberal Rebellions in
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...
,
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, and
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literall ...
in 1842, and the
Sabinada The Sabinada (1837–1838) was a revolt by military officer Francisco Sabino that occurred in Brazil's Bahia province between 6 November 1837 and 16 March 1838. Calling for the abolition of slavery and the redistribution of land, the rebel " Bah ...
in
Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-larges ...
in 1837. It was inspired by the recently ended
Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War (), also known as the Argentine-Brazilian War () or, in Argentine and Uruguayan historiography, as the Brazil War (''Guerra del Brasil''), the War against the Empire of Brazil (''Guerra contra el Imperio del Brasil'') or t ...
, maintaining connections with both Uruguayan leaders as well as independent Argentine provinces such as Corrientes and Santa Fe. It even expanded to the Brazilian coast, in Laguna, with the proclamation of the Juliana Republic and to the Santa Catarina plateau of
Lages Lages is a Brazilian municipality located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano". It is located in the mountain region of the state and is the largest municipality of it. It ...
. The abolition of slavery was one of the demands of the Farrapos movement. Lopes, Nei. ''Dicionário escolar afro-brasileiro''. Publ. Selo Negro, 2006, , 174 pp. Many slaves organized troops during the Ragamuffin War, the most famous of which is the , annihilated in a surprise attack in 1844 known as .


History


Beginning of the war

The uprising is believed to have begun due to the difference between the economy of Rio Grande do Sul and the rest of the country. Unlike the other provinces, the economy of Rio Grande do Sul focused on the internal market rather than exporting commodities. The province's main product, (dried and salted beef), suffered badly from competition from imported from
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
and
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
. The people that benefited from these markets were called "Gauchos", nomadic cowhands and farmers who lived in
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most-populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is border ...
. The Gauchos also lived in Argentina and Uruguay. In 1835, was nominated president of Rio Grande do Sul and at first, his appointment pleased the liberal farmers, but that soon changed. On his first day in the office, he accused many farmers of being separatists. On 20 September 1835, general Bento Gonçalves captured the capital,
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fif ...
, beginning an uprising against the perceived unfair trade reinforced by the provincial government. The provincial president fled to the city of
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
, to the south. In Porto Alegre, the rebels, also known as "ragamuffins" ( pt, farrapos) after the fringed leather worn by the gauchos, elected their new president. Responding to the situation and further upsetting the rebels, the Brazilian regent, Diogo Antônio Feijó, appointed a new provincial president, who was forced to take office in exile in Rio Grande. The Brazilian Army had a number of problems at the time and was not able to handle the secessionist threat. Through military reforms, the mass recruitment of civilians was made possible and they were able to quell the rebels in 1845.


Declaration of independence

Pushing to consolidate their power,
Antônio de Souza Neto Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...
declared the independence of the Riograndense or Piratini Republic on 11 September 1836, with Bento Gonçalves as president nominee. However, Gonçalves was arrested and jailed by imperial forces until he escaped in 1837, returning to the province and bringing the revolution to a head. Nonetheless, Porto Alegre was recaptured by the empire and the rebels never managed to regain it. Led by the Italian revolutionary
Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pa ...
, who joined the rebels in 1836, and Anita Garibaldi, the revolution spread north through Santa Catarina, which adjoined Rio Grande do Sul. One of the main cities of Santa Catarina, Laguna, was taken by the rebels but fell back into imperial hands after four months. It was in this struggle that Garibaldi gained his first military experience and got on the road leading to his becoming the famed military leader of the
Unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
. The rebel forces were also aided financially and indirect military support by the
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
an government led by José Fructuoso Rivera. The
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
ans had the intention of creating a political union with the
Riograndense Republic The Riograndense Republic, often called the Piratini Republic ( pt, República Rio-Grandense or ), was a ''de facto'' state that seceded from the Empire of Brazil and roughly coincided with the present state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was proc ...
to create a new stronger state.


Resultant peace

The rebels refused an offer of amnesty in 1840. In 1842, they issued a Republican
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...
as a last attempt to maintain power. The same year saw General Lima e Silva take command of Imperial forces in the area, and try to negotiate a settlement. On 1 March 1845, the peace negotiations led by Lima e Silva and
Antônio Vicente da Fontoura Antônio Vicente da Fontoura (June 16, 1807 – October 20, 1860) was a Brazilian statesman. He was one of the main leaders of the Riograndense Republic during the Ragamuffin War (1835–45) and the chief-negotiator of the Peace Agreement with ...
concluded with the signing of the Green Poncho Treaty (Portuguese: Tratado de Poncho Verde) between the two sides, in
Dom Pedrito Dom Pedrito is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located at: 30° 58' 58" S 54° 40' 22" W Nearby cities are: Rosário do Sul, São Gabriel, Lavras do Sul, Bagé, Santana do Livramento and República Oriental do U ...
. The treaty offered the rebels a full amnesty, full incorporation into the imperial army and the choice of the next provincial president. All the debts of the Riograndense Republic were paid off by the Empire and a tariff of 25% was introduced on imported charque. The Riograndense and Juliana Republics remained in the
Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom ...
and are now two states of the
Federative Republic of Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area an ...
,
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most-populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is border ...
and Santa Catarina respectively. As a goodwill gesture, the rebels chose Lima e Silva as the next provincial president.


Participants


Ragamuffins

All of those who revolted against the imperial government were called Ragamuffins ( pt, Farrapos). In 1832 the Ragamuffin Party was founded by Lieutenant Luís José dos Reis Alpoim, deported from Rio de Janeiro to
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fif ...
. The group used to meet at Major
João Manuel de Lima e Silva João Manuel de Lima e Silva (2 March 1805 – 29 August 1837) was a Brazilian military officer and revolutionary leader, being the first general of the Riograndense Republic. Biography Early life The son of Joaquim de Lima e Silva and Joana ...
's house. Lima e Silva's home also worked as the headquarters of Sociedade Continentino, the editor of the newspaper called , which strongly criticized the Empire.
/ref> On 24 October 1833, the Ragamuffins promoted an uprising against the installation of the Military Society in Porto Alegre. Southern Freemasonry, tending to republican ideals, had an essential role in the directions taken, and many of the Ragamuffin leaders were its adherents, among them, Bento Gonçalves da Silva, with the codename Sucre.Dorneles, Laura de Leão. "Risorgimento e Revolução: Luigi Rossetti e os ideais de Giuseppe Mazzini no movimento farroupilha". ''PUCRS'', Porto Alegre, January 2010. Bento organized other Masonic lodges in the territory of Rio Grande do Sul, which he had been allowed to do since 1833.


Empire

Their imperial troops were called, by the ragamuffins, caramurus or camels, a jocular term generally applied to members of the Restoration Party in the Imperial Parliament.


Minorities in the war


Indigenous

In the years before the Ragamuffin War, the indigenous people were seen as a subdivision of the free population and performed the same jobs white and free men performed as livestock and war activities. The most famous village is called São Nicolau and is located in Rio Pardo, consisting of indigenous people from the eastern reductions.Neumann, Eduardo Santos (18 December 2014). Um só não escapa de pegar em armas': as populações indígenas na Guerra dos Farrapos (1835–1845)". ''Revista de História'' (171): 83–109. . . Like the blacks, the indigenous people actively participated in the Ragamuffin War from the first to the last day. Although the indigenous presence in the conflict is scarce in the historiography of the Ragamuffin War, through the analysis of letters exchanged between the military, the strategic battle plans, and reports, it is possible to verify that the presence of this group was fundamental for the war. Another historical evidence that indirectly points to the presence of Indians in the war is the population change in indigenous villages during the war period. In the village of Capela de Santa Maria, there was a sharp demographic drop during the war. The same happened with the village of São Nicolau, which also witnessed a demographic change with the predominance of older people and children in the village as men in adulthood went to war. The villages of São Vicente and Santa Isabel lasted less than three years due to the effects of the war. However, the fact that the indigenous people participated in the war does not mean that they supported the cause, whether Ragamuffin or imperial, in its entirety. Several indigenous people were arrested after deserting their posts in the army or arguing with the leaders of the troops. Among the motivations for enlistment, the possibility of obtaining uniforms and weapons stands out; since, in cases of desertion, the indigenous people took the clothes and weapons they had received with them.Erpen Zardo, M. (2010)
"A imagem do índio na historiografia tradicional sobre a Revolução Farroupilha (1835–1845)"
In: XXII Salão de Iniciação Científica da UFRGS. Porto Alegre: UFRGS, p. 1.


In Ragamuffin troops

Although the indigenous people fought on both sides, their presence in the Ragamuffin troops is more documented than in the imperial forces. Both in the campaign and the areas under the administration of the Ragamuffin rebels, there was difficulty in recruiting people to fight in the war, and one solution to increase the military contingent was to resort to the voluntary engagement of indigenous people. They performed different tasks, among which we can highlight the training of horses and fighting on the battlefield, and many did them without receiving any remuneration. Indigenous participation in the Ragamuffin troops was heterogeneous. As mentioned before, some indigenous individuals were arrested due to disobedience to the orders of their superiors, which indicates that they probably did not occupy a prestigious space within the military hierarchy. However, some indigenous people held high positions and even leadership positions, such as Roque Faustino, a captain in the Ragamuffin army and executed as a prisoner of war.


In historiography

Despite the immense amount of bibliography on the Ragamuffin War, there is still a lack of works that report the presence of indigenous people in the conflict. These remain obscured to this day in the historiographical production of the Ragamuffin War, even though, in official documents, their presence, both on the imperial side and the farrago side has never been hidden. A research done at the UFRGS Central Library collection found only eight books that mentioned the indigenous presence in the Ragamuffin War among more than 50 works. Among the eight works, four talked about the murder of the Ragamuffin leader João Manoel de Lima e Silva by the indigenous captain Roque Faustino in 1837 (, by Dante de Laytano (1936); , by J. P. Coelho de Souza (1945); , by Francisco de Sá Brito; and , by Artur Ferreira Filho (1958)). while the authors remember Lima e Silva as "noble" and "brave", Roque Faustino is characterized as "immoral" and "dishonest". Three other works (, by Spalding (1963); by Augusto Tasso Fragoso) comment on the indigenous presence in the troops of General Bento Manoel Ribeiro. Among these books, the one that has a more comprehensive commentary is Fragoso's, where, in his description of the victory of Bento Manoel's loyalist troops in the combat of Passo do Rosário, he emphasizes the existence of infantry composed of 80 Guaraní people, Guaraní and, lists in a footnote, that in Bento Manoel's forces during the Fanfa battle, an infantry unit, and a lancer unit was coming from the missions and, therefore, presenting a high probability of being composed of Guaranís.


Blacks

The blacks during the Ragamuffin War were fundamental and had an active participation throughout the entire conflict. It is estimated that, in all, they would represent approximately one-third to one-half of the republican army and later, they were integrated into the ragtag groups in the cavalry or infantry. The first was created on 12 September 1836 and the second on 31 August 1838 respectively. On 31 August 1838, 426 combatants joined the army.Carrion, Raul. ''Os Lanceiros Negros na Revolução Farroupilha''. Assembleia Legislativa do Rio Grande do Sul. Gabinete do Deputado Raul Carrion. They were recruited from among peasant slaves and tamers from Serra dos Tapes and Serra do Herval, located between the municipalities of Canguçu,
Piratini Piratini is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul with a population of some 21,000. It is the former capital of the short-lived Riograndense Republic The Riograndense Republic, often called the Piratini Republic ( pt, Repúbli ...
,
Caçapava Caçapava is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. Is between São José dos Campos 24 km and Taubaté 19 km. The distance from Caçapava to S� ...
, Encruzilhada and
Arroio Grande Arroio Grande (Portuguese meaning the big stream) is a Brazilian municipality in the southern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The population is 18,238 (2020 est.) in an area of 2513.60 km². Its second industry is agriculture which wa ...
, with the promise of liberation after the victory of the Ragamuffins. At first, they were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joaquim Pedro Soares, later they were led by Major Joaquim Teixeira Nunes. Blacks played a prominent role in national confrontations, such as the capture of
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fif ...
in 1835 and of
Pelotas Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and municipality (''município''), the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8& ...
in April 1836. The groups were composed of black and freed slaves, indigenous, mestizos and escaped slaves from other countries, mainly
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. In addition to being soldiers and great defenders of the rags, the blacks also worked as drovers, messengers, campeiros and helped in the manufacture of gunpowder and in the cultivation of tobacco and yerba mate, appreciated by the group.Carvalho, Ana Paula Comin de (2005). "O memorial dos lanceiros negros: disputas simbólicas, configurações de identidades e relações interétnicas no Sul do Brasil". ''Sociedade e Cultura''. 8 (2). .


Legacy

The Brazilian Army reorganized itself to be a proper fighting force during the Ragamuffin War. The military would be able to defeat insurgencies that rose up during the Imperial Era of Brazil. However, this reformed military would prove disastrous against the
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
when they rebelled to create a
Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
.


In popular culture

*20 September is , written in the state constitution, also known as "Gaúcho Day", one of the most important holidays of the state. * , a 2013 Brazilian film, follows the arrival of
Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pa ...
in Brazil, his meeting with Anita Garibaldi and his education in the art of guerilla warfare with Luigi Rossetti during the Ragamuffin War. * Brazilian mini series *, a series of novels written by Érico Verissimo, which became the drama, as well as the soap opera and the miniseries of the same name. *, Brazilian film by Anselmo Duarte *, Brazilian film of Durval Garcia


See also

* List of wars involving Brazil *
Revolutions of Brazil This article lists major rebellions and revolutions that have taken place during Brazilian history. Colonial Brazil (1500–1822) * Vila Rica Revolt (1720) * Slave Rebellions (From its peak in the mid-17th century until the abolition of slaver ...


References


External links


A review of Farroupilha Week in modern RS state


{{Authority control Rebellions in Brazil 19th-century rebellions Wars involving Brazil Rebellions in South America Separatist rebellion-based civil wars Separatism in Brazil 1835 in Brazil 1845 in Brazil 1830s conflicts 1840s conflicts