When in 1808 the Portuguese court, aided by the British navy, fled Napoleon’s armies and escaped to Rio de Janeiro, the city went from being a colonial capital to being the seat of a far-flung empire. Brazilian ports, previously allowed to trade only through Portugal, were opened to direct trade with other countries. The first press was established, initially to publish government paperwork but soon to publish works of all kinds. Foreigners came from Britain, France, Germany, and North America to see this tropical place, to be dazzled and shocked by its exoticism. They described in words, paint, and drawings what they saw, and they published their accounts for readers at home. Rio de Janeiro became a favorite stopping place, with travelers sometimes passing through, while others who came as part of artistic or scientific missions might stay for several years. Those who went to Rio de Janeiro in the...

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