16  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

established  himself  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  (in
1808),  and  ruled  Portugal  from  this  one  of
his  possessions.  This  is  the  only  instance  in
history  of  any  portion  of  Europe  ever  being
ruled  from  the  western  continent.  When
peace  came  to  Europe,  King  John  returned,
leaving  Brazil  under  the  regency  of  his  eldest
son  Dom  Pedro,  who  in  1822,  proclaimed
Brazil  independent  of  Portugal,  and  established ­
  himself  in  power  as  Emperor,  the  first
and  only  instance  of  such  a  form  of  government ­
  in  South  America.  Dom  Pedro  was
forced  to  abdicate  in  1831  in  favor  of  his  son
Dom  Pedro  II,  who  after  reigning  through  a
regency  assumed  the  throne  on  becoming  of
age  in  1840.  It  is  unnecessary  to  detail  the
causes  that  led  to  the  bloodless  revolution  of
November  15,  1889,  which  ended  his  reign
and  by  means  of  which  Brazil  proclaimed  herself ­
  a  republic,  adopting  a  constitution  patterned ­
  after  our  own  and  a  government  comprising ­
  a  President,  with  legislative  powers
vested  in  a  Congress  composed  of  two  bodies,
a  Senate  and  a  Chamber  of  Deputies.