ABSTRACT
DURING Dom Pedro II's reign of nearly fifty years Brazil became in many ways a modern, progressive nation. Some of the advancement was the consequence of
general world development, but other agents also played a part, as is clear from the progress made by the Empire in this period in comparison with many other backward lands. Though it is an exaggeration to say, as does one Brazilian historian, that the country owes all of its progress to Dom Pedro 11/ nevertheless, its debt to him is great; for he was unquestionably the chief factor in national advancement during his reign, and had a share in every part of it. Perhaps he achieved as much by direct, personal effort as by influence on his ministry and on Parliament, through the speeches from the throne, or otherwise. But these speeches, in which his ideas usually prevailed, were often like a voice crying in the wilderness, far in advance of the reforms for which they asked. Largely because of the selfish indifference of the nation's representatives, and of lack of money-owing partly to official extravagance and dishonesty-many of the calls for betterment were disregarded and the response to others was much delayed.
