José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (; 13 June 17636 April 1838) was a Brazilian

statesman A statesman or stateswoman is a politician or a leader in an organization who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level, or in a given field. Statesman or statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States ...

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, mineralist, professor and poet, born in Santos,

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, then part of the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

. He was one of the most important mentors of

Brazilian independence The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Brazilian Empire. It is celebrated on 7 ...

, and his actions were decisive for the success of Emperor Pedro I. He supported

public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

, was an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

and suggested that a new national capital be created in Brazil's underdeveloped interior (effected over a century later as

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

). His career as naturalist was marked by the discovery of four new minerals.

Life

In 1800, Bonifácio was appointed professor of

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

, and soon after inspector-general of the Portuguese mines; and in 1812 he was made perpetual secretary of the

Lisbon Academy of Sciences The Academy of Sciences of Lisbon () is Portugal's national academy dedicated to the advancement of sciences and learning, with the goal of promoting academic progress and prosperity in Portugal. It is one of Portugal's most prestigious scientif ...

. Returning to the Brazil in 1819, he urged prince regent Pedro to resist the recall of the Lisbon court, and was appointed one of his ministers in 1821. When the

independence of Brazil The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Empire of Brazil, Brazilian Empire. It is c ...

was declared, Bonifácio became minister of the interior and of foreign affairs; and when it was established, he was again elected by the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

. He was also the author of the abolition project in Brazil, presented to the Constituent Assembly in 1823. But his democratic principles resulted in his dismissal from office in July 1823.

Career in Europe

José Bonifácio spent part of his life in Europe. In his travels around Europe he studied

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

with other scientists. He collected data, carried out scientific experiments and discovered four new minerals and eight previously unknown species. The mineral

andradite Andradite is a Mineralogy, mineral species of the Garnet, garnet group. It is a Silicate minerals#Nesosilicates, nesosilicate, with chemical formula Ca3Fe2Si3O12. Andradite includes three varieties: * ''Colophonite'': a historical variety found ...

is named after him. Among his other discoveries was

petalite Petalite, also known as castorite, is a lithium aluminum phyllosilicate mineral Li Al Si4 O10, crystallizing in the monoclinic system. Petalite occurs as colorless, pink, grey, yellow, yellow grey, to white tabular crystals and columnar masses. ...

, a lithium-containing material, first discovered by Bonifácio toward the end of the 18th century on a trip to Sweden; it was in this mineral that Swedish chemists first discovered

lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...

. He also was the first to discover another important lithium-containing mineral, spodumene, from the same source, the island of Utö in the

Stockholm Archipelago The Stockholm Archipelago () is the largest archipelago in Sweden, and the second-largest archipelago in the Baltic Sea (the largest being the Archipelago Sea across the Baltic in Finland). Part of the archipelago has been designated as a Rams ...

of Sweden. In 1797 he was elected a foreign member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...

. Bonifácio graduated with degrees in

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

and

Natural Philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe, while ignoring any supernatural influence. It was dominant before the develop ...

from the

University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...

, he joined the Lisbon Academy Sciences. He taught Geognosy at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Knowing twelve languages, he could speak four.

Return to Brazil

In the year of 1819, he travelled back to Brazil where he continued to conduct scientific research. A talented man having an unquiet temperament, he was also appointed Minister for Kingdom and Overseas Affairs and became the ''de facto'' prime minister. Maria Leopoldina regent

His relationship with the prince became incompatible and he decided to join the opposition. In 1823 he was exiled and went to live in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

where, in 1825, come out his "Poesias Avulsas" (Sundry Poetries). To publish them he used the pseudonym Américo Elísio. On the dissolution of the Assembly in November (the Night of Agony), he was arrested and banished to France, where he lived in exile near Bordeaux until 1829, when he was permitted to return to Brazil. Calixt33

In 1831 when Dom Pedro I abdicated from the throne, he was appointed by the former Emperor to be the tutor of the Emperor's son. Since he did not agree with the Regent's government he tried to reestablish the Empire. After being again arrested in 1833 and tried for intriguing on behalf of Dom Pedro I, he passed the rest of his days in retirement at the city of

Niterói Niterói () is a List of municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay, facing the city of Rio de ...

. He lost his duties as tutor and was accused of being a traitor, but he was eventually pardoned. In December 1836, he contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. He died of the disease on 6 April 1838 in

Career in literature

José Bonifácio had also been engaged in Literature. His work ''Poesias Avulsas'' that come out in Bordeaux were republished in Brazil, in 1861, by the publisher Laemmert. In Brazil it received the title "Poesias" (Poetries) and the publication had the coordination of Joaquim Norberto de Sousa. In 1942 Afrânio Peixoto prepared another issue through the Brazilian Academy of Letters. This work, prefaced with a text by Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, was also published in a collection, as Volume I, idealized by the "Instituto Nacional do Livro" (The National Book Institute), appearing in 1946 with the title ''Poesias de Américo Elísio'' mérico Elísio's Poetry His poetry shows a naturalistic pantheism that expresses his intellectual character and scientific curiosity. His scientific, political and social works are published in Volume III, compiled and reproduced by Edgar Cerqueira Falcão with the title ''Obras científicas, politicas e sociais de José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.'' Its third edition came out in 1963 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Patriarch of the Independence. The mineral

was named after José Bonifácio.

Gallery

File:Pedro I of Brazil and Avilez.jpg, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza (pointing) with Andrada e Silva (in civilian clothes) and others on the deck of the Brazilian frigate ''União'', 8 February 1822 File:A Fundação da Pátria Brasileira (Eduardo Sá, 1899).jpg, ''The Founding of the Brazilian Fatherland'', a 1899 allegorical painting depicting Andrada e Silva with the imperial flag and three major ethnic groups in Brazil File:MHN - José Bonifácio.jpg, Portrait by Décio Villares (1851–1931) File:Cairu e José Bonifácio.jpg, With the Viscount of Cairu (left) File:Sisson José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.png, Drawing by S. A. Sisson, between 1858 and 1861

Monuments

File:Jose Bonifacio (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil).JPG, Statue in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

File:José Bonifácio, Monumento à Independência.JPG, upStatue at the

Monument to the Independence of Brazil The Monument to the Independence of Brazil () is a granite and bronze monument located in the Independence Park in São Paulo, Brazil. It is also known as the Ipiranga Monument () or the Altar of the Fatherland (). The monument is located on the ...

File:At Santos, Brazil 2018 161.jpg, Monument to the Andrada brothers in Santos File:At New York, USA 2017 079.jpg,

Statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

Bryant Park Bryant Park is a , privately managed public park in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and between 40th Street (Manhattan), 40th and 42 ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

File:Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo 15.jpg, Plaque at the University of São Paulo Law School

References

Bibliography

* BARRETO, Vicente. ''Ideology and politics in the thought of José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.'' Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 1977. * * Special issue of the bulletin of the Library of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. ''Bibliography regarding José Bonifácio''. Brasilia, 1963. * CALDEIRA, Jorge (org.). ''José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva''. (Col. Formadores do Brasil). São Paulo: Ed. 34. 2002. * CAVALCANTE, Berenice. ''José Bonifácio: reason and sensibility, a history in three times.'' Rio de Janeiro: FGV, 2001. * COELHO, José Maria Latino. ''Elogio Histórico de José Bonifácio''. Rio de Janeiro: Edições Livros de Portugal, 1942. * COSTA, Pedro Pereira da Silva. ''José Bonifácio''. (Col. A vida dos grandes brasileiros, vol. 2). São Paulo: Editora Três, 1974. * CRUZ, Guilherme Braga da. ''Coimbra and José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.'' Lisboa. Sep. "Memories of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon – Class of Letters", 20, 1979. * DOLNIKOFF, Miriam (org.). ''Projects for Brazil, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva.'' São Paulo: Cia. das Letras, 1998. * DRUMOND, A. M. V. ''Annotations to a biography'' ''in'' vol. XIII dos Anais da Biblioteca Nacional. * FALCÃO, Edgar Cerqueira de (org.). ''Scientific, political and social works of José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva''. Monumental edition celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of his birth (1963). Brasília: Câmara dos Deputados, 2006. * GRAHAM, Maria. ''Journal of a voyage to Brazil and residence there during part of the years 1821, 1822, 1823.'' Belo Horizonte, Itatiaia; Publishing department of the University of São Paulo, 1990. * MONTEIRO, Tobias. ''History of the Brazilian Empire.'' Rio de Janeiro: F. Briguiet & Cia. Editora, 1927, 1938. * ROCHA POMBO, José Francisco da. ''History of Brazil''. Edited by Helio Vianna. São Paulo: Edições Melhoramentos, 1963. * SENADO FEDERAL. ''Political works of José Bonifácio''. Brasília, 1972. * SILVA, Ana Rosa Cloclet da. ''Building of the nation and slavery in the thought of Jose Bonifacio: 1783 – 1823.'' Campinas: Editora da Unicamp, 1999. * SOUSA, Octávio Tarquínio de. ''História dos fundadores do Império do Brasil''. (Vol. 1.) Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, 2ª edição, revista. * SOUSA, Octávio Tarquínio de. ''José Bonifácio''. Belo Horizonte: Editora Itatiaia, 1988. * SOUSA, Alberto. ''The Andradas'' (3 vols.). São Paulo: Typographia Piratininga, 1922. * VARELA, Alex Gonçalves. ''I swear by my honor as a good vassal and good Portuguese man.'' An analisis of the scientific annotations of José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (1780–1819). São Paulo: Annablume, 2006.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonifacio De Andrada, Jose 1763 births 1838 deaths People from Santos, São Paulo 18th-century Brazilian writers 19th-century Brazilian people Brazilian abolitionists Brazilian geologists Mineralogists Brazilian people of Portuguese descent University of Coimbra alumni Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Government ministers of Brazil Ministers of foreign affairs of Brazil Brazilian monarchists Knights of the Military Order of Christ Brazilian Roman Catholic writers