Ragamuffin War

In Portuguese, the term farrapo literally denotes a rag or torn piece of cloth, and by extension can refer to someone shabbily dressed (a "ragamuffin"). In turn, the derivation farroupilha, a derogatory label used to refer to the rebels, circulated earlier in the political vocabulary during Brazil's regency period, especially in the Court (Rio de Janeiro), where it was used as a nickname for the political faction associated with the radical wing of liberalism (the "exalted liberals", also called jurujubas). This milieu produced and consumed a dense newspaper and pamphlet press in which factional labels were deployed as weapons and badges of identity. In that context, farroupilha operated as a marker of those who defended strong provincial autonomy, federalism, and were hostile to centralizing projects. While farroupilha is well-attested as a regency-era factional nickname in the Court, contemporaneous narratives about Rio Grande do Sul's provincial politics describe farrapos and farroupilhas as paired epithets in local partisan conflict. Lindolfo Collor stated that "legalists" (reactionaries) called the province's liberals farrapos or farroupilhas to imply they had "no representation in society", adding that the liberals, rather than taking offense, came to embrace the label with pride. ==History==

Beginning of the war The uprising is believed to have begun over the difference between the economy of Rio Grande do Sul and that of the rest of the country. Unlike the other provinces, the economy of Rio Grande do Sul focused on the internal market rather than exporting commodities. The province's main product, (dried and salted beef), suffered badly from competition from imported from Uruguay and Argentina. The people that benefited from these markets were called : nomadic cowhands and farmers who lived in Rio Grande do Sul. The Gaúchos also lived in Argentina and Uruguay. On 20 September 1835, General Bento Gonçalves captured the capital, Porto Alegre, beginning an uprising against the perceived unfair trade reinforced by the provincial government. The provincial president fled to the city of Rio Grande, to the south. In Porto Alegre, the rebels, also known as "ragamuffins" () after the fringed leather worn by the gaúchos, Responding to the situation and further upsetting the rebels, the Brazilian regent, Diogo Antônio Feijó, appointed a new provincial president, who was forced to take office in exile in Rio Grande. The Brazilian Army had a number of problems at the time and was not able to handle the secessionist threat. Through military reforms, the mass recruitment of civilians was made possible and they were able to quell the rebels in 1845. Led by the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who joined the rebels in 1836, and his wife, Anita Garibaldi, the revolution spread north through Santa Catarina, which adjoined Rio Grande do Sul. Without an appropriate port for their newborn republican navy, the revolutionaires aimed for one of the main cities of Santa Catarina, Laguna, which was taken by the rebels but fell back into imperial hands after four months. It was in this struggle that Garibaldi gained his first military experience and got on the road leading to his becoming the famed military leader of the Unification of Italy. The rebel forces were also aided financially and indirect military support by the Uruguayan government led by José Fructuoso Rivera. The Uruguayans had the intention of creating a political union with the Riograndense Republic to create a new stronger state. Resultant peace The rebels refused an offer of amnesty in 1840. In 1842, they issued a Republican constitution as a last attempt to maintain power. The same year saw General Lima e Silva take command of Imperial forces in the area and try to negotiate a settlement. On 1 March 1845, the peace negotiations led by Lima e Silva and Antônio Vicente da Fontoura concluded with the signing of the Green Poncho Treaty (Portuguese: Tratado de Poncho Verde) between the two sides, in Dom Pedrito. The treaty offered the rebels a full amnesty, full incorporation into the imperial army and the choice of the next provincial president. All the debts of the Riograndense Republic were paid off by the Empire and a tariff of 25% was introduced on imported charque. The Riograndense and Juliana Republics remained in the Empire of Brazil and are now two states of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina respectively. As a goodwill gesture, the rebels chose Lima e Silva as the next provincial president. == Participants ==

Ragamuffins All of those who revolted against the imperial government were called Ragamuffins (). In 1832, the Ragamuffin Party was founded by Lieutenant Luís José dos Reis Alpoim, deported from Rio de Janeiro to Porto Alegre. The group used to meet at Major João Manuel de Lima e Silva's house. Lima e Silva's home also worked as the headquarters of Sociedade Continentino, the editor of the newspaper called , which strongly criticized the Empire. On 24 October 1833, the Ragamuffins promoted an uprising against the installation of the Military Society in Porto Alegre. Southern Freemasonry, tending to republican ideals, had an essential role in the directions taken, and many of the Ragamuffin leaders were its adherents, among them, Bento Gonçalves da Silva, with the codename Sucre. Bento organized other Masonic lodges in the territory of Rio Grande do Sul, which he had been allowed to do since 1833. == Minorities in the war ==

Indigenous In the years before the Ragamuffin War, the indigenous people were seen as a subdivision of the free population and performed the same jobs as white and free men: livestock and war activities. The most famous village is called São Nicolau and is located in Rio Pardo, consisting of indigenous people from the eastern reductions. Like the blacks, the indigenous people actively participated in the Ragamuffin War from the first to the last day. Although the indigenous presence in the conflict is scarce in the historiography of the Ragamuffin War, through the analysis of letters exchanged between the military, the strategic battle plans, and reports, it is possible to verify that the presence of this group was fundamental for the war. Another historical evidence that indirectly points to the presence of Indians in the war is the population change in indigenous villages during the war period. In the village of Capela de Santa Maria, there was a sharp drop during the war. The same happened with the village of São Nicolau, which also witnessed a demographic change with the predominance of older people and children in the village as men in adulthood went to war. The villages of São Vicente and Santa Isabel lasted less than three years due to the effects of the war. In Ragamuffin troops Although indigenous people fought on both sides, their presence in the Ragamuffin troops is more documented than in the imperial forces. In historiography Despite the immense amount of bibliography on the Ragamuffin War, there is still a lack of works that report the presence of indigenous people in the conflict. These remain obscured to this day in the historiographical production of the Ragamuffin War, even though, in official documents, their presence, both on the imperial side and the farrago side has never been hidden. A research done at the UFRGS Central Library collection found only eight books that mentioned the indigenous presence in the Ragamuffin War among more than 50 works. Among the eight works, four talked about the murder of the Ragamuffin leader João Manoel de Lima e Silva by the indigenous captain Roque Faustino in 1837 (, by Dante de Laytano (1936); , by J. P. Coelho de Souza (1945); , by Francisco de Sá Brito; and , by Artur Ferreira Filho (1958)). while the authors remember Lima e Silva as "noble" and "brave", Roque Faustino is characterized as "immoral" and "dishonest". On 31 August 1838, 426 combatants joined the army. They were recruited from among peasant slaves and tamers from Serra dos Tapes and Serra do Herval, located between the municipalities of Canguçu, Piratini, Caçapava, Encruzilhada and Arroio Grande, with the promise of liberation after the victory of the Ragamuffins. At first, they were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joaquim Pedro Soares, later they were led by Major Joaquim Teixeira Nunes. ==Legacy==

The Brazilian Army reorganized itself to be a proper fighting force during the Ragamuffin War. The military defeated insurgencies that rose up during the Imperial Era of Brazil. However, this reformed military would prove disastrous against the Emperor when they rebelled to create a Republic. ==In popular culture==

• 20 September is , written in the state constitution, also known as "Gaúcho Day", one of the most important holidays of the state. • , a 2013 Brazilian film, follows the arrival of Giuseppe Garibaldi in Brazil, his meeting with Anita Garibaldi and his education in the art of guerilla warfare with Luigi Rossetti during the Ragamuffin War. • Brazilian mini series • , a series of novels written by Érico Verissimo, which became the drama, as well as the soap opera and the miniseries of the same name. • , Brazilian film by Anselmo Duarte • , Brazilian film of Durval Garcia ==See also==