Frei Caneca
Encyclopedia
Joaquim da Silva Rabelo, later Frei Joaquim do Amor Divino Rabelo (August 20, 1779 – January 13, 1825), commonly known as Frei Caneca (English
: Brother Mug), was a Brazilian religious leader, politician, and journalist who was involved in multiple revolts in Northeastern Brazil during the early 19th century.
from whom he got his nickname. His mother, Francisca Maria Alexandrina de Siqueira, who was the cousin of a Carmelite nun. He was ordained into the Carmelite Order in 1801 and joined the Seminário de Olinda. There he taught rhetoric
and geometry
until the Pernambucan Revolt
of 1817.
Caneca's first foray into political life was during the Pernambucan Revolt
, when Pernambuco
and other nearby states rebelled against the Portuguese royal court, which had relocated to Brazil
during the Peninsular War
, because they felt that the government was ignoring the sugar-producing north in favor of the coffee-producing south, which was closer to Rio de Janeiro
. After the rebellion was put down, he was imprisoned in Salvador for four years.
Pardoned in 1821, he and others soon grew frustrated with the constitution of the newly formed Empire of Brazil, which limited autonomy in the provinces, and returned to secessionist politics, this time becoming a leader in the Confederation of the Equator
by providing much of its intellectual support. In addition, he published Typhis Pernambucano, a pro-Confederation newspaper critical of Pedro I and the imperial government from 1823 to 1824.
and rebellion
. On December 18 he was tried by a military commission, found guilty, and sentenced to death by hanging, but this sentence was changed to death by firing squad after three different men refused to hang him.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Brother Mug), was a Brazilian religious leader, politician, and journalist who was involved in multiple revolts in Northeastern Brazil during the early 19th century.
Biography
Frei Caneca was the firstborn son of Portuguese parents. His father, Domingos da Silva Rabelo, was a cooperCooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
from whom he got his nickname. His mother, Francisca Maria Alexandrina de Siqueira, who was the cousin of a Carmelite nun. He was ordained into the Carmelite Order in 1801 and joined the Seminário de Olinda. There he taught rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
and geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
until the Pernambucan Revolt
Pernambucan Revolt
The Pernambucan Revolt of 1817 occurred in the province of Pernambuco in the Northeastern region of Brazil, and was sparked mainly by the decline of sugar cane production and the influence of the Freemasonry in the region...
of 1817.
Participation in revolts
Pernambucan Revolt
The Pernambucan Revolt of 1817 occurred in the province of Pernambuco in the Northeastern region of Brazil, and was sparked mainly by the decline of sugar cane production and the influence of the Freemasonry in the region...
, when Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
and other nearby states rebelled against the Portuguese royal court, which had relocated to Brazil
Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil
The Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil was an episode in the history of Portugal and the history of Brazil in which the Portuguese royal family and its court escaped from Lisbon on November 29, 1807 to Brazil, just days before Napoleonic forces captured the city on December 1...
during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, because they felt that the government was ignoring the sugar-producing north in favor of the coffee-producing south, which was closer to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. After the rebellion was put down, he was imprisoned in Salvador for four years.
Pardoned in 1821, he and others soon grew frustrated with the constitution of the newly formed Empire of Brazil, which limited autonomy in the provinces, and returned to secessionist politics, this time becoming a leader in the Confederation of the Equator
Confederation of the Equator
The Confederation of the Equator was a short-lived rebellion that occurred in the northeastern region of Brazil during that nation's struggle for independence from Portugal. The secessionist movement was led by wealthy landowners who opposed early reforms by the nation's first leader, Emperor...
by providing much of its intellectual support. In addition, he published Typhis Pernambucano, a pro-Confederation newspaper critical of Pedro I and the imperial government from 1823 to 1824.
Death
After the defeat of the Confederation he was arrested by imperial troops and charged with seditionSedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
and rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. On December 18 he was tried by a military commission, found guilty, and sentenced to death by hanging, but this sentence was changed to death by firing squad after three different men refused to hang him.