Prudente de Moraes: public and private life
The exhibition briefly recounts the life of Prudente de Moraes, the First Civil President of Brazil.
Prudente de Moraes: public life
Prudente José de Moraes Barros, the name given by his parents, defined him throughout his life as a prudent man of simple habits.
The principles moral, ethical, legal and the search for justice marked his public and private life. Meticulous and ruled in acts, articulating the words and firm, built its image and political basis for the consolidation of the Republic in Brazil.
Prudente de Moraes (1894/1894) by J. VollsackPrudente de Moraes Museum
Prudente de Moraes during his presidency.
He was born on October 4, 1841 in the city of Itu. After graduating Bachelor of Legal Sciences, came to reside in the City of the Constitution, current Piracicaba, going to exercise his profession of lawyer.
Political career
Prudente left the Liberal Party in 1876 to join the Paulista Republican Party for sharing its abolitionist ideals, freedom of religion and teaching and decentralization of monarchical power. He left Piracicaba as an city councilor and gradually won positions at the state and federal levels, until he reached the greatest degree of political power, the Presidency of the Republic.
In the Senate, his most remarkable achievement occurred when he presided over the session for Promulgation of the Republican Constitution, in 1891.
Prudente de Moraes by J. VollsackPrudente de Moraes Museum
In 1893, he applied to the Presidency of the Republic assuming the presidency in 1894, being the first Civil President of Brazil and the first to be elected by the vote.
Considered a great statesman, he was one of the leaders in the Republican´s advertising, which used many ways for the dissemination of ideas using the press, publications, political rallies in public squares, conferences in social halls and document "Program of the Candidates".
The São Paulo elite had a lot of national influence and these relations caused a projection in politics, through Manoel de Moraes Barros, Manoel Joaquim Sousa Moraes, brother and cousin of Prudente de Moraes, respectively, who came to the positions of Senators; João Sampaio, son-in-law and lawyer, state and federal legislator. Paulo de Moraes and Luís Mendes de Moraes, nephews of Prudente, acted in the municipal, state and national politics.
Prudente de Moraes by J. VollsackPrudente de Moraes Museum
Prudente de Moraes: private life
Prudente de Moraes Barros was born on October 04, in 1841, in the city of Itu (São Paulo´s State). His father, a merchant who descended from tradicional family, in a trip of the capital of the province in 1843, was killed by a slave with a knife strike. After six years of this event, Catarina, mother of Prudente de Moraes, married Major Caetano José Gomes
Carneiro.
In 1857, he went to study in the Capital of São Paulo and in the next year, his mother, brothers and sisters and stepfather moved to Constituição City, current
Piracicaba.
On May 28, 1866, Prudente married Adelaide Benvinda da Silva Gordo in Santos (city of São Paulo state), at the mansion of the bride's parents, Antonio José da Silva Gordo and Ana B. de Barros Silva.
FamilyPrudente de Moraes Museum
Letter (1897-12-11/1897-12-11) by Prudente de MoraesPrudente de Moraes Museum
Prudente's greatest concern was to be a good example to his children. The letters were the only means of communication with the family. He wrote every week, almost every day, for everyone of his family. And he considered it an obligation to be answered.
Prudente de Moraes, in his letters, showed that his family was his security. It was with the health of his wife and with the children and grandchildren who cared only.
Even in difficult political times, he never ceased to communicate with children, always having the concern of not showing the problems he was going through.
One passion of Prudente de Moraes was his jabuticabas´trees, that had planted in his yard. Very jealous, he would not allow any children to enter without the company of an adult and also that the fruits were picked while they were not ripe.
Letter (1901-05-20/1901-05-20) by Prudente de MoraesPrudente de Moraes Museum
Notebook (1897/1897) by Casa Bancária Pedro Alexandrino Almeida & C.Prudente de Moraes Museum
All his personal expenses were written in a notebook, no matter the amount, showing his economic profile, since a simple coffee taken while he waited for the train arrived, even he lent money to others.
Prudente de Moraes: final moments
Prudente de Moraes reports in his diary and letters his constant health crises. In 1896, he was forced to withdraw from the Presidency to do a surgery to remove the calculus in the bladder, returning unexpectedly in March 1897. In 1901, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
The disease, in the last level, was well accelerated. His life in the last months was simply balloons of oxygen. On December 2, from 6 hours and 30 minutes PM, Prudente fell into great prostration, reducing gradually his pulse, accentuated the dyspnea and the loss of lucidity. For breathing, they applied oxygen inhalations.In front of the residence, a lot of people was accompanying the difficult event.
Prudente de Moraes returns to Piracicaba (1898/1898)Prudente de Moraes Museum
Prudente, after the presidency, returns to Piracicaba.
Prudente de Moraes´ grave (1902/1902)Prudente de Moraes Museum
On December 3, 1902, Prudente de Moraes died at the age of 61.
It was under heavy rain that more than three thousand people accompanied his coffin until the church.
His grave is in Piracicaba, in Cemetery of Saudade.
PIRACICABA´S CITY HALL
Barjas Negri | Mayor
SECRETARIAT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
Rosângela Camolese | Secretary
PRUDENTE DE MORAES MUSEUM
Renata Gava | Director of Public Museum
Mauricio Beraldo - Educational Assistant and Programming
Taiane Melo - Educational Trainee
Yone Moreno - Educational Trainee
