On July 18, 1841 Brazil crowned young Pedro II emperor. 

Emperor Dom Pedro II
Issued by Brazil in 1879

Pedro II would rule for 49 years, and become one of Brazil’s most popular and progressive rulers, earning him the name Pedro the Magnanimous. He balanced the needs and wants of both the conservative and liberal factions carefully, ensuring Brazil was a stable, prosperous country. It was under his government that Brazil began the gradual rejection of slavery. He personally freed his own slaves in 1840, and paved the way for legislation in 1888 that freed 700,000 slaves held in Brazil. He was also interested in improving education and day to day life of the Brazilian people. A military backed coup overthrew his government in 1889, forcing him into exile for the last 2 years of his life. 

Inheriting an Empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II turned Portuguese-speaking Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, zealously guarded freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth and especially for its form of government: a functional, representative parliamentary monarchy. Brazil was also victorious in three international conflicts under his rule, as well as prevailing in several other international disputes and domestic tensions.

Pedro II steadfastly pushed through the abolition of slavery despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. A savant in his own right, the Emperor established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture and the sciences. He won the respect and admiration of scholars such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others.
Biography of Pedro II of Brazil