Washington Luís

Washington Luís was a leader in Brazil.

He worked in many big jobs. He was a mayor and a governor. Later, he became the president.

During his time, a big money crisis happened. This made things hard for his government. People began to disagree with him.

Because of these problems, he lost his job.

He had to leave his home for a long time. He lived in other lands far away.

He came back to Brazil many years later. He spent his time studying history. A big road is named after him today.

Washington Luís was a leader in Brazil.

He was born in Macaé. He studied law at a school in São Paulo. He held many jobs in the government. He was a mayor and a governor. In 1926, he became the president of Brazil.

During his time as president, things became hard. A big money crisis started in the United States. This was called the Great Depression. It hurt the price of coffee. Brazil sold a lot of coffee to other lands. This crisis made people lose support for him.

Washington Luís chose his friend Júlio Prestes to be the next leader. But many people thought the election was not fair. This led to the Revolution of 1930.

The military took power. Washington Luís had to leave Brazil. He lived in Europe and the United States for seventeen years. He came back to Brazil in 1947. He spent his later years studying history. A large road in São Paulo is named for him.

Washington Luís was an important leader in Brazil. He served as the 13th president of the country.

He belonged to the Republican Party of São Paulo. This group was a major political force at the time. He was the very last president of the First Brazilian Republic. His life shows how much one person can do in government. He moved through many different roles before leading the whole nation.

Luís started his career in many local offices. He first worked as a prosecutor in Barra Mansa. Later, he moved to Batatais to practice law. He served as an alderman and then as a mayor there. He also worked as a congressman and a state representative.

He even served as the mayor of the big city of São Paulo. These jobs helped him learn how to run a state and a country.

His path to the presidency took many years of work. He became the governor of São Paulo from 1920 to 1924. After that, he served as a senator for his party. In 1926, he won a direct election for president.

He took office on 15 November 1926. He was born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, and had Romani descent. He studied law at the University of São Paulo in 1891.

Being president was a very hard job for him. A huge economic crisis called the Great Depression began in 1929. This started with a stock market crash in the United States. It hurt Brazil because coffee prices went down. Coffee was 70% of what Brazil sold to other lands.

This crisis made many people lose support for his government. He also faced opposition from different groups in the cities.

In 1930, a big change happened in Brazil. Luís chose his friend Júlio Prestes to be the next president. Many people thought the election was not fair. This led to the Revolution of 1930.

On 24 October, the military removed him from power. He went to live in Europe and the United States for seventeen years. He finally returned to Brazil in 1947 to study history. A large road in São Paulo is named after him today.

Washington Luís was a central figure in Brazilian history. He served as the 13th president of Brazil.

He was a member of the Republican Party of São Paulo (PRP). This political group held significant power during the First Brazilian Republic. Luís was the final president of this specific era of Brazilian government. His life spanned many different roles in law and leadership. He rose from local municipal offices to the highest office in the land.

Luís began his professional life in the legal field. He graduated from the University of São Paulo Law School in 1891. He first worked as a prosecutor in Barra Mansa, Rio de Janeiro. Later, he moved to Batatais in São Paulo to practice law. This move helped him start his long political career. He served as an alderman and later as the mayor of Batatais. He also held roles as a congressman and a state representative.

These early experiences prepared him for larger responsibilities.

His career moved steadily through the levels of government. He served as the mayor of São Paulo from 1914 to 1919. During this time, he managed the city during the general strike of 1917. From 1920 to 1924, he was the governor of São Paulo state. He also led a battalion in Batatais to fight rebels. After his governorship, he served as a senator for the PRP. In 1926, he won a direct election to become the president of Brazil. He officially took office on 15 November 1926.

His presidency faced several difficult challenges. In 1927, he created the Celerada Act to manage opposition. This law imposed press censorship and restricted the right of assembly. This action pushed the Brazilian Communist Party underground. The government also dealt with the end of the Prestes Column. This group of 620 men eventually entered Bolivian territory and dissolved. These events showed the tension between the government and various social movements.

The political atmosphere was becoming increasingly strained.

The Great Depression created a massive economic crisis for Brazil. This global crisis began with the New York Stock Exchange crash in 1929. It paralyzed economic activities in many countries. In Brazil, the crisis hurt the coffee industry deeply. Coffee accounted for 70% of all Brazilian exports at the time. The international price of coffee dropped significantly. Luís refused to allow the new currency devaluation that farmers requested. This decision caused him to lose much of his political support.

Political instability led to the Revolution of 1930. Under the "coffee with milk" political system, a leader from Minas Gerais should have succeeded Luís. Instead, he supported his friend Júlio Prestes for the presidency. Prestes won the election on 1 March 1930, but people suspected fraud. The situation worsened after the assassination of João Pessoa, the vice presidential candidate. Although the assassination had no political purpose, it fueled opposition. Getúlio Vargas and other politicians organized a conspiracy against the government.

This led to the movement known as the Revolution of 1930.

The end of his presidency came through a coup d'état. On 24 October 1930, the heads of the armed forces deposed him.

A military junta took power to lead the country for a few months. This junta included generals Tasso Fragoso and Mena Barreto, and admiral Isaías de Noronha. Luís went into exile in Europe and the United States. He remained away from Brazil for seventeen years. He finally returned to his home country in 1947.

After returning, Luís focused on historical and academic interests. He became a member of several prestigious groups. These included the Academia Paulista de Letras and the Brazilian Red Cross. He also studied history through various institutes in São Paulo, Bahia, and Ceará. He died in São Paulo on 4 August 1957. Today, the Rodovia Washington Luís in São Paulo is named in his honor. His life remains a key part of the study of Brazil's First Republic.