1833:
February:
Brazil had been, since the end of the Napoleonic Wars, in a state of political flux. Events in Portugal since the return of the Royal Family after the liberation of the Iberian Peninsula, had led the colony to steadily gain more and more autonomy to the extent it was Portuguese in name only. But even this was frustrating to the Revolutionaries of the nation, many of whom were actually from the regions run by the Spanish Imperial Federacion who, seeing their dreams quashed in Spanish territories, had headed to Brazil to lead the Revolution.
Matters came to a head when a Portuguese official arrived in the main city of Rio de Janeiro and announced that the double partnership of Brazil and Portugal had ended. Ever since Portugal had overcome her political divisions of the Liberals and Conservatives with the compromise of 1832, Lisbon had began to reassert its influence once more over Brazil. The official had arrived to inform the Brazilian officials that Lisbon was now reaffirming its control over the colony and that the Brazilian officials were to hand over all reigns of power to the Motherland. The official was promptly thrown out of a window (But landed safely enough, there was a soldier to cushion his landing).
The Brazilian Revolution had begun and it was to be the least bloody Revolution of the period. The political instability of Portugal had drained Brazil of troops loyal to the nation, leaving only Brazilian Army guards who weren’t to fond of the idea of Brazil being a mere colony to Portugal as opposed to a partner. Portugal had neither the arms nor men to retake Brazil and turned to the two nations which could help it, Britain and Spain. But once Brazil offered Britain some rather juicy trade agreements, they were out of the picture.
The Federacion had its own troubles as opposed to Portugal. The first was that the South American nations of the Federacion were not keen on bringing down a Revolution, their own populaces wanting to gain a greater say in their Governments and if they attacked a nation rebelling against autonomy, it would not be a good sign and agitate opinion further. Their second problem was the ongoing economic War with Britain. The tariffs set up by the Federacion had ruined British ambitions to open up markets in Southern America and in response, smuggling (Both official and unofficial) became rife between the British, with their base in Jamaica and the South American states.
The tensions had risen to the point that there was a noticeable faction in the Federacion who were calling for tougher action against the British. The moderates in the Federacion therefore felt it was unable to actually interfere in the matter without angering Britain and risking the chance of War between the powers. Portugal was left on its own in a hopeless battle.
March:
William Harrison faced his inauguration as President with few problems apart from an overly long speech. Jackson left office with the effects of a smaller, yet much more efficient Army that had learned its lessons from the Florida War, a more belligerent attitude towards New England, the Shawnee Nation and Britain and a much more politically divided America. Harrison was left in a politically strong position as the Democrat-Republican Party still dominated the Houses of Congress. Harrison therefore looked to the west, to the Great Plains where true American history would be made.
April:
The Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, the Treaty recognising the independence of Brazil was signed. Last minute attempts by Portugal to woo Brazil into a partnership or an Imperial Federation like the Spanish Empire went unheeded and Brazil demanded complete independence. With no ability to challenge the Brazilian track of thought, Portugal had no choice but to recognise the sovereignty of the Empire of Brazil and its Emperor, Pedro I. Pedro I was a Portuguese Noble who had chosen to remain loyal to Brazil over his home country. Due to the extended return of many Portuguese people to their native country, the Brazilian faction were the greatest political force and Pedro I was forced to accept that he was now a Constitutional Monarch with real limits on his power.
The effect of the Brazilian Revolution in Southern America was negligible at first. Spanish fears that their territories would erupt into Revolutionary violence were proved to be more than a little paranoid. But the Brazilian Government was not fond of the idea of being surrounded by Spanish power and began to work in concert with Britain to undermine the Spanish position in America. This would slowly lead to rising tension in South America which would explode several years down the line.
August:
Napoleon II visited Bavaria as a sign of good will to the Meiningen Pact. Constantly worried about the belligerence of Prussia and Austria, Napoleon II had proceeded upon a campaign of wooing the Pact over to the side of France rather than bullying it. The campaign was met with some suspicion but Napoleon II’s own charm and sincerity began to woo everyone except the most cynical of Ministers. These moves were greeted with derision in Prussia and Austria, many believing that the tour was a direct threat to the German powers. In response, Prussia and Austria began to grow closer together with a mutual interest in preventing France from rising once more. Europe was essentially being divided.
November:
The Shawnee Parliament reached a new crisis as the pro-reform faction brought in a proposal to start an education system for children. The anti-reform faction instantly voiced their opposition. Educate their children in British ways? Why not invite the Americans to take their land while they’re at it? The session in Parliament got to such a fever pitch that it had to be closed while tempers cooled. Tecumseh, not liking these proposals at all, found a reason to expel three Tribe Representatives of the pro-reform faction, citing their misconduct. With these expulsions, the anti-reform faction now had the slimmest of margins to prevent any further reform. Tecumseh was only delaying the conflict however as the Tribes who the Representative came from were firmly pro-reform and were able to elect Representatives with the same ideals. A reckoning was coming for the Shawnee Nation and it would rock it to the core.