Tiradentes escuartejado (Tiradentes supliciado) by Pedro Américo 1893.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (; 12 November 1746 – 21 April 1792), known as Tiradentes (), was a leading member of the colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement known as
Inconfidência Mineira Inconfidência Mineira (; "Minas Gerais Conspiracy") was an unsuccessful separatist movement in Brazil in 1789. It was the result of a confluence of external and internal causes in what was then colonial Brazil. The external inspiration was th ...
, whose aim was full independence from
Portuguese colonial The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
rule and creation of a republic. When the separatists' plot was uncovered by authorities, Tiradentes was arrested, tried and publicly hanged. Since the
advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...
of the
Brazilian Republic 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 ...
, Tiradentes has been considered a national hero of Brazil and patron of the Military Police.


Early life

Tiradentes was born on the
Fazenda A ''fazenda'' () is a plantation found throughout Brazil during the colonial period (16th - 18th centuries). They were concentrated primarily in the northeastern region, where sugar was produced in the ''engenhos'', expanding during the 19th ...
do Pombal, near the village of Santa Rita do Rio Abaixo, at the time disputed territory between the towns of São João del-Rei and Tiradentes, in the Captaincy of Minas Gerais. Joaquim José da Silva Xavier was the fourth of seven children of Portuguese-born Domingos da Silva Santos and of Brazilian-born Antônia da Encarnação Xavier. According to his mother's 1757 inventory, there were 35 slaves on the family's large
fazenda A ''fazenda'' () is a plantation found throughout Brazil during the colonial period (16th - 18th centuries). They were concentrated primarily in the northeastern region, where sugar was produced in the ''engenhos'', expanding during the 19th ...
of Pombal, where they also worked as miners. A porch provided external access to an oratory, and there were slave quarters and communal kitchens. A large and valuable quantity of mining equipment was also listed in the inventory. In 1755 after the death of his mother, he went with his father and brothers to the town of São José. Two years later, when he was 11 years old, his father died. With the premature death of his parents, his family soon lost its property due to debt. Having received no regular education, he entered under the tutelage of his uncle and godfather Sebastião Ferreira Leitão, who was a dentist. He worked as a peddler and a miner, and he became a partner in a pharmacy in Vila Rica. He dedicated himself to pharmaceutical practices and dentistry, which earned him the nickname ''Tiradentes''. "Tiradentes" means "tooth puller", a pejorative denomination adopted during the trial against him. According to Brother Raimundo de Penaforte, Tiradentes "adorned his mouth with new teeth which he made himself that seemed natural". He also occasionally worked as a doctor in light of knowledge about medicinal plants acquired with his cousin, Brother José Mariano da Conceição Veloso, a celebrated botanist of the time.


Political ideas

Tiradentes used knowledge he acquired about minerals while working as a miner to enter the public service as a terrain surveyor. He later joined the Minas Gerais Dragoon Regiment, where he was given command of a detachment and sent on missions to cities along "Caminho Novo", a road between Vila Rica (then capital of Minas Gerais) and Rio de Janeiro through which gold was sent to the coast, ultimately to be shipped to Portugal. Over time, witnessing the transit of goods along Caminho Novo, Tiradentes started to perceive the massive exportation of gold and other valuable resources to the metropolis as exploitation to which Brazilians were subjected. He also grew dissatisfied with his relatively low rank (not a member of the local aristocracy, he was systematically overlooked for promotion and never rose above ''alferes'', the lowest officer rank at the time) and a later dismissal from his commanding post. His trips to Rio put him in contact with people who had lived in Europe and brought liberal ideas from there. In 1788, Tiradentes met
José Alvares Maciel José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
, a son of Vila Rica's army's commandant who had just returned from England. Contrasting British industrial progress with Brazilian colonial poverty, the two decided to create a group of freedom aspirants. Led by clerics and other Brazilians with some social presence, like
Cláudio Manuel da Costa Cláudio Manuel da Costa (June 4, 1729 – July 4, 1789) was a Brazilian poet and musician, considered to be the introducer of Neoclassicism in Brazil. He wrote under the pen name Glauceste Satúrnio, and his most famous work is the epic poem '' ...
,
Tomás Antônio Gonzaga Tomás may refer to: * Tomás (given name) * Tomás (surname) Tomás is a Spanish and Portuguese surname, equivalent of ''Thomas''. It may refer to: * Antonio Tomás (born 1985), professional Spanish footballer * Belarmino Tomás (1892–1950), ...
(both public servants and renowned writers) and
Alvarenga Peixoto Inácio José de Alvarenga Peixoto (1744–1793) was a Colonial Brazilian Neoclassicism, Neoclassic poet and lawyer. He wrote under the pen name Eureste Fenício. The design of the flag of Minas Gerais is attributed to him. Biography Peixoto was ...
(eminent businessman), the group propagated their ideas among the people. At the time, Portugal's demand for gold was high. However, productivity of Brazilian mines was declining. The colony was failing to meet the ''quinto'' – the quota of gold demanded by the Crown – and pressure from the metropolis rose. This culminated in the creation of the ''derrama'', a heavily confiscatory tribute that, in turn, further stirred seditious sentiments. Influenced by the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the American Revolution, Tiradentes joined a number of like-minded citizens in the Inconfidência Mineira, a revolutionary movement. They envisioned an independent Brazilian republic, with São João del Rei as its capital and the conversion of Vila Rica to a university town. The proposed flag for the new republic had a green triangle over a white background, surrounded by the Latin motto "
Libertas Quae Sera Tamen 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 (literally ...
" ("Freedom, Even If It Be Late").


Discovery, trial and execution

Tiradentes's plan was to take to the streets of Vila Rica and proclaim a Brazilian Republic on the day of the ''derrama'', in February 1789, when tax was due to Portugal and the sentiment of revolt among Brazilians would be stronger.
Joaquim Silvério dos Reis Joaquim Silvério dos Reis Montenegro Leiria Grutes (1756–1819) was a conspirator who betrayed the Inconfidência Mineira in exchange for having his taxes waived. Was husband of Bernardina Quitéria de Oliveira Belo, in turn, cousin of Franc ...
, one of the conspirators, exposed the plot in exchange for a tax waiver. The governor of Minas Gerais cancelled the ''derrama'' and ordered the imprisonment of the rebels. A trial was carried, lasting almost three years. Tiradentes was sentenced to death, along with ten other ''inconfidentes''. Queen Maria I of Portugal later commuted the sentences of capital punishment to perpetual banishment for all convicts, except those whose activities involved aggravated circumstances. Such was the case of Tiradentes, who took full responsibility for the movement. He was imprisoned in Rio, then hanged on 21 April 1792. Afterwards, his body was quartered and the pieces were sent to Vila Rica, to be displayed in places where he used to propagate his liberal ideas. His head landed in Ouro Preto but was subsequently lost.


National hero

Tiradentes began to be considered a national hero by the republicans in the late 19th century. After the institution of the
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 c ...
, in 1889, the anniversary of his death became a
national holiday National holiday may refer to: * National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment *Public holiday, a holiday established by law, usually a day off for at least a portion of the workforce, ...
. His moniker, "Tiradentes", became the namesake of a city in the state of Minas Gerais, of city squares in
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
, Curitiba, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and
Ouro Preto Ouro Preto (, ''Black Gold''), formerly Vila Rica (, ''Rich Village''), is a city in and former capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Herita ...
, as well as of a major avenue in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 11th Mountain Infantry Battalion, "Tiradentes" Regiment (''11º Batalhão de Infantaria de Montanha, Regimento "Tiradentes"''), named after the hero, is currently operational in the Brazilian Army.


See also

* Zica family, descendants of Tiradentes * Toussaint Louverture *
Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...
*
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...


References


Further reading

*


External links


Museu da Inconfidência


at about.com
Tiradentes
at e-Biografias {{Authority control 1746 births 1792 deaths Brazilian people of Portuguese descent 18th-century Brazilian people People from Minas Gerais Executed Brazilian people Executed revolutionaries Brazilian dentists People executed by Colonial Brazil People executed by Brazil by hanging People executed by Portugal by hanging Brazilian slave owners 18th-century executions by Portugal