Miguel de Vasconcelos e Brito (c. 1590 - Lisbon

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...

, 1 December 1640; miˈɡɛɫ dɨ vaʃkõˈsɛluʃ) was the last Secretary of State (Prime Minister) of the Kingdom of Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, during the Iberian Union

Iberian Union

The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...

, in which both kingdoms of Portugal and Spain remained separated but united by the same king and foreign policy (See: History of Portugal (1578-1777)

History of Portugal (1578-1777)

The history of Portugal from the restoration of independence in 1640 to the end of the reign of the Marquis of Pombal in 1777 is a period of transition. Having been near its height at the start of the Iberian Union, the Portuguese Empire continued to enjoy the widespread influence in the world...

).
He was in office from 1635 to 1640, serving under the Vice-Queen of Portugal, Margarita of Savoy

Margarida of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal

Margaret of Savoy, Duchess Consort of Mantua and Montferrat was best known as the last Spanish Vicereine of Portugal...

, the Duchess of Mantua, a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of Portuguese ancestry.

He was probably the most hated collaborator with the Spanish, considered a traitor during the last years of the Iberian Union, especially after the revolts of 1637. On the morning of 1 December 1640, a group of Portuguese noblemen who wanted to restore full independence started a revolution, immediately supported by the people.
After entering the palace, the conspirators sought Miguel Vasconcelos, but saw no sign of him. They would eventually find Miguel de Vasconcelos hidden in a closet with a gun. His movements within the small closet and the rustling of papers inside gave away his position. He was shot to death and defenestrated

Defenestration

Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...

, leaving his corpse to the angry public.