O Maranhão e a Revolução do Porto: as Cortes e os cidadãos da província

Abstract

In Maranhão, the act of petitioning provided the inhabitants of that province the right to complain in writing, and therefore it was observed the emergence of new political, economic and social demands in the early decades of the nineteenth century. However, these changes were only possible due to the “Porto revolution” of 1820, since when the parliament was granted with prominent position as well as enlarged its sphere of action. If at first sight it worked only as an advisory body, subsequently it underwent into changes and then started to be also deliberative. By joining the parliament to the monarch, it is established a constitutional monarchy in Portugal. In this sense, the nation representativeness agency operates as a means of receipt of these petitions sent by beyond the seas citizens, and in particular, natural and Portuguese citizens based in Maranhão.