Apogee of Pedro II of Brazil

Pedro II
A half-length photograph showing an older, fully bearded Pedro dressed in a dark coat, white shirt and dark vest
Portrait by Delfim da Câmara, 1875
Emperor of Brazil
Reign7 April 1831 – 15 November 1889
Coronation18 July 1841
Imperial Chapel
PredecessorPedro I
SuccessorMonarchy abolished
RegentsSee list (1831–1840)
Prime ministersSee list
Head of the Imperial House of Brazil
Tenure7 April 1831 – 5 December 1891
PredecessorPedro I, Emperor of Brazil
SuccessorIsabel, Princess Imperial
Born(1825-12-02)2 December 1825
Palace of São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil
Died5 December 1891(1891-12-05) (aged 66)
Paris, France
Burial5 December 1939
Spouse
(m. 1843; died 1889)
Issue
Detail
Names
Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga
HouseBraganza
FatherPedro I of Brazil
MotherMaria Leopoldina of Austria
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureCursive signature in ink

The Apogee of Pedro II of Brazil refers to the decade from 1870 to 1881 during which Emperor Pedro II, and Brazil itself, reached the height of their prestige and activity. The nation experienced rapid development and the emperor was intimately involved in pushing for further progress on a variety of economic and cultural fronts. It was during this period that serious efforts toward the end of slavery began to be implemented.