The Quebra-Quilos revolt (Portuguese: revolta do Quebra-Quilos, literally, "revolt of the kilogram-breaker") was a three month long revolt in opposition to the proposed transition to a metric system

Metric system

The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...

. The unrest took place from November 1874 to January 1875 as part of wider anti-government protests

Legacy

The revolt is remembered in place names in many towns and cities in northeast Brazil. For instance, there is the Praça de Quebra-Quilos (Quebra Quilos Plaza) in Fagundes, Paraiba

Fagundes, Paraíba

Fagundes, Paraíba is a town and municipality in the state of Paraíba in the Northeast Region of Brazil.-References:...

, and Rua Quebra-Quilos ("Quebra-Quilos Street") in nearby Campina Grande

Campina Grande

Campina Grande is the second most populous Brazilian city in the State of Paraíba after João Pessoa, the capital. It is considered to be the most important city of the Northeastern Brazilian subregion called agreste. It is considered one of the main industrial, technological and educational...

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