Strangely enough, the first impulse toward independence was given by the Portuguese royal family.

Terrified by the prospective invasion of the country by a French army, late in 1807 the Prince Regent, the royal family, and a host of Portuguese nobles and commoners took passage on British vessels and sailed to Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil thereupon became the seat of royal government and immediately assumed an importance which it could never have attained as a mere dependency.

Acting under the advice of the British minister, the Prince Regent threw open the ports of the colony to the ships of all nations friendly to Portugal, gave his sanction to a variety of reforms beneficial to commerce and industry, and even permitted a printing press to be set up, though only for official purposes.

From all these benevolent activities Brazil derived great advantages.