When did the Riograndense Republic exist?

The Riograndense Republic existed 1836–1845. On this map it is drawn 1836–1845.

How large was the Riograndense Republic?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Riograndense Republic covered about 288,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

South America · Successor states and civil wars

Riograndense Republic

1836–1845

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Existed: 1836–1845
Shown on the map: 1836–1845
Peak area: 288k km²
Region: South America

Overview

The Riograndense Republic was a separatist state that broke away from the Empire of Brazil during the Ragamuffin War (Guerra dos Farrapos), the longest of the regency-era regional revolts. The rebellion began on 20 September 1835 when rebels (farrapos, "ragamuffins") led by Bento Gonçalves da Silva captured the provincial capital, Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul. The grievances were economic — especially high imperial tariffs on the region's charque (dried beef) — and political, reflecting gaúcho resentment of centralized rule.

History

After the rebel victory at the Battle of Seival, General Antônio de Sousa Neto proclaimed the Riograndense Republic on 11 September 1836, with Bento Gonçalves da Silva as its first president. Its motto was "Liberdade, Igualdade, Humanidade" ("Liberty, Equality, Humanity"). Because of the fluid war, the republic had a series of capitals — Piratini (the principal one), then Caçapava do Sul, Alegrete, and São Gabriel among them. The Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi fought alongside the farrapos, gaining formative military experience (and meeting his future wife Anita) in the coastal/naval theater; the republic even spawned a sister state, the Juliana Republic in Santa Catarina, with which it formed a confederation in 1839. Bento Gonçalves was succeeded as president by José Gomes de Vasconcelos Jardim (Gomes Jardim) from 1841.

Decline and legacy

The war was ended by the Empire's leading soldier, Luís Alves de Lima e Silva (the future Duke of Caxias), through a combination of military pressure and generous terms. The Treaty of Ponche Verde (Poncho Verde), signed on 1 March 1845 (some sources give 28 February), granted full amnesty, incorporated rebel officers into the imperial army, allowed the rebels to choose the next provincial president, and introduced protective tariffs on foreign charque. The republic dissolved and Rio Grande do Sul was reintegrated into the Empire. The Farroupilha remains a proud foundation of gaúcho regional identity, commemorated annually in Rio Grande do Sul.

Common questions

What was the Riograndense Republic?: The Riograndense Republic was a separatist state that broke away from the Empire of Brazil during the Ragamuffin War (Guerra dos Farrapos), the longest of the regency-era regional revolts. The rebellion began on 20 September 1835 when rebels (farrapos, "ragamuffins") led by Bento Gonçalves da Silva captured the provincial capital, Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul.
When did the Riograndense Republic exist?: The Riograndense Republic existed 1836–1845. On this map it is drawn 1836–1845.
How large was the Riograndense Republic?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Riograndense Republic covered about 288,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Riograndense Republic?: After the rebel victory at the Battle of Seival, General Antônio de Sousa Neto proclaimed the Riograndense Republic on 11 September 1836, with Bento Gonçalves da Silva as its first president. Its motto was "Liberdade, Igualdade, Humanidade" ("Liberty, Equality, Humanity").
How did the Riograndense Republic end?: The war was ended by the Empire's leading soldier, Luís Alves de Lima e Silva (the future Duke of Caxias), through a combination of military pressure and generous terms. The Treaty of Ponche Verde (Poncho Verde), signed on 1 March 1845 (some sources give 28 February), granted full amnesty, incorporated rebel officers into the imperial army, allowed the rebels to choose the next provincial president, and introduced protective tariffs on foreign charque.

Sources

This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. It names English Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica and the World History Encyclopedia as the basis of these profiles, supplemented by academic and museum sources and, for recent events, by reputable news outlets. The article this entry is anchored on:

Wikipedia — Riograndense Republic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riograndense_Republic

This entry was last updated 12 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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