1808: The Flight of the Emperor

1808

The Flight of the Emperor

1808

The Flight of the Emperor

How a Weak Prince, a Mad Queen, and the British Navy Tricked Napoleon and Changed the New World

L
AURENTINO
G
OMES

T
RANSLATED FROM THE
P
ORTUGUESE
BY
A
NDREW
N
EVINS

LYONS PRESS

Guilford, Connecticut

An imprint of Globe Pequot Press

To Carmen, my wife and companion on this journey

Copyright © 2007 by Laurentino Gomes

Translation copyright © 2013 by Laurentino Gomes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

First published in Brazil in 2007 by Editora Planeta do Brasil as
1808: Como uma rainha louca, um príncipe medroso e uma corte corrupta enganaram Napoleão e mudaram a História de Portugal e do Brasil.
First published in the United States of America in 2013 by Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Frontispiece portrait by José Leandro de Carvalho.

“One Hundred Days between Sea and Sky” map on page vi by Andréia Caires, courtesy of Editora Planeta do Brasil. Map on page vii by Melissa Baker © Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Project editor: Meredith Dias
Layout: Mary Ballachino

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gomes, Laurentino, 1956-
  [1808. English]
  1808 : the flight of the emperor : how a weak prince, a mad queen, and the British navy tricked Napoleon and changed the new world / Laurentino Gomes : translated from the Portuguese by Andrew Nevins.
    pages cm
  Originally published in Portuguese under the title: 1808 : como uma rainha louca, um príncipe medroso e uma corte corrupta enganaram Napoleão e mudaram a história de Portugal e do Brasil. São Paulo : Editora Planeta do Brasil, 2007.
  Includes bibliographical references and index.
  ISBN 978-0-7627-9665-6
1. Peninsular War, 1807-1814—Portugal. 2. Portugal—History—Maria I, 1777-1816. 3. Portugal—History—John VI, 1816-1826. 4. Brazil—History—1763-1822. 5. Monarchy—Portugal—History—19th century. 6. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821—Relations with Latin Americans. I. Nevins, Andrew, translator. II. Title.
  DP644.G6613 2013
  946.9'034—dc23

2013016667

“He was the only one who tricked me.”

—N
APOLEON
B
ONAPARTE ON
J
OÃO
VI

C
ONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

P
ART
O
NE:
T
HE
F
LIGHT OF THE
E
MPEROR

I
Flight from Lisbon

II
The Era of Deranged Monarchs

III
The Plan

IV
The Declining Empire

V
Departure

VI
The Royal Archivist

VII
The Voyage

VIII
Salvador

IX
The Colony

X
Tree Frog, the Reporter

XI
A Letter

P
ART
T
WO:
T
HE
R
ISE OF
B
RAZIL

XII
Rio de Janeiro

XIII
Dom João

XIV
Carlota Joaquina

XV
Hands in the Coffers

XVI
A New Court

XVII
Empress of the Seas

XVIII
Transformation

XIX
The Chief of Police

XX
Slavery

XXI
The Travelers

XXII
Napoleon's Downfall

XXIII
The Republic of Pernambuco

XXIV
Tropical Versailles

P
ART
T
HREE:
T
HE
R
ETURN OF THE
M
ONARCH

XXV
Portugal Abandoned

XXVI
The Return

XXVII
A New Brazil

XXVIII
The Conversion of dos Santos Marrocos

XXIX
The Secret

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

About the Author & Translator

Index

Photographs