Years of Consolidation

As an episode, the passage from empire to republic was almost a lark. The years after 15 November 1889 made up for that ease, however, for they were years of tremendous uncertainty. The several groups that vied for power had diverse interests and did not agree on how they thought a republic should be run. The political representatives of the ruling class in the important provinces (São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul) espoused the idea of a federal republic which would assure each region a considerable degree of autonomy.

They differed in other aspects as far as power was concerned. The PRP and the Mineiros supported the liberal model. The republicans in Rio Grande do Sul were positivists. There are no clear reasons why, under the command of Júlio de Castilhos, Rio Grande do Sul became the region most influenced by positivism. Positivism may have been supported by the area’s military tradition. Also, in that province, republicans were a minority in search of a doctrine that would bring them together to overcome a traditional political current led by the Liberal Party during the empire.