Liberal Wars

A Portuguese civil war fought from 1828 to 1834 between constitutional liberals supporting Queen Maria II and absolutists supporting her uncle, King Miguel.

Portuguese succession crisis of 1826: A dispute over Portugal’s crown after João VI died, involving his son Pedro and daughter Maria. Pedro’s abdication for Maria left Miguel as regent and set the contested succession in motion.
Portuguese Liberal Revolution of 1820: A revolution that established a constitutional movement in Portugal and demanded limits on royal power. It created the political movement whose gains Miguel later overturned.
Duke of Terceira: António José de Sousa Manuel de Meneses Severim de Noronha, a Portuguese liberal commander and statesman. He led campaigns that captured Lisbon for Maria II’s supporters in 1833.
September Revolution of 1836: A Portuguese revolution that restored the Constitution of 1822 and brought a new liberal government to power. It exposed continuing conflict over the constitutional settlement established after the war.
Miguelist regime: The Portuguese absolutist government established by Miguel I after he rejected constitutional limits on royal authority. Miguel’s seizure of power displaced the constitutional settlement that liberals defended.
Constitution of 1822: Portugal’s first liberal constitution, establishing representative government and restricting the monarch’s authority. Its constitutional principles became a target of Miguelist absolutism.
Duke of Saldanha: João Carlos de Saldanha de Oliveira e Daun, a Portuguese general and statesman who served the liberal cause. His military leadership helped deliver the decisive liberal victory at Asseiceira.
Portuguese constitutional monarchy: A system in which Portugal’s monarch ruled under constitutional limits and representative institutions. The liberal victory restored this form of government, though disputes over its design continued.
Siege of Porto: A prolonged siege from 1832 to 1833 in which Miguelist forces tried to retake Porto from liberal troops. The liberal defense of Porto kept Maria II’s cause alive during the war’s decisive phase.
Charter of 1826: A constitutional charter granted by Pedro IV that created a more moderate political framework for Portugal. The charter supplied the compromise settlement at the center of the succession crisis.

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