ABSTRACT
The Portuguese-colonized half of South America was fortunate in having relative autonomy in choosing its path through the first two generations of its national life. Both in gaining independence and in filling the legitimacy vacuum that ensued, Brazil's experience differed markedly from that of all parts of Spanish America. Its remaining a monarchy for another full generation resulted in unique facets that would last throughout the nineteenth century. During the 1870s and 1880s Brazil worked its way into and through a major systems change. Although the number of European immigrants was rising just as the ranks of slaves were thinning, the monarchy that made Brazil unique in Latin America—indeed the Western Hemisphere—was functioning smoothly. The twentieth century opened with Sao Paulo agriculturist Campos Salles, best described as moderate, opportunist, and vigilant against the excesses of the multitude, halfway through his term as Brazil's fourth president, but only the second civilian one.
