ABSTRACT
The situation of industrial activities, in Portugal, around 1820, was not very favourable. In fact, industry was passing through a difficult period since the beginning of the century. Three factors were mainly responsible for this difficult situation. The first factor was the political and economic scenario due to the retirement of the Portuguese court from Lisbon to Brazil. The second factor was the destruction and instability caused by the military events connected with the French invasions. The third factor, which was propelled, by the two aforementioned factors, was the increased foreign commercial competition. Already an important issue before the revolution, the corporations becomes one of the most important ones in the Liberal Courts. The liberal mood did not believe that the traditional structure of the corporations was an effective way of promoting industrial prosperity. However, the fragility of the political support of liberal courts, did not allow a consistent fight against an organised and deeply embedded group as the corporations.
