From kingdom to First Republic

Formation and recognition

The Battle of São Mamede in 1128 marks the start of Afonso Henriques’s rule over the County of Portugal. The Treaty of Zamora in 1143 is another kingdom-formation milestone. In 1179, the bull Manifestis Probatum confirmed his royal title. These events are not different names for one act. They identify moments in a political process. Write an action beside each date: rule the county, conclude a treaty, obtain papal confirmation. The action word makes the chronology clearer.

Institutions and the kingdom’s memory

During Dinis’s reign, the Estudo Geral was founded in Lisbon in 1290. Today the institution is known as the University of Coimbra; its current name does not mean it began there. In 1297 Dinis signed the Treaty of Alcanizes, associated with stabilising borders with Castile. In another period, João I linked Santa Maria da Vitória Monastery’s construction to the victory at Aljubarrota in 1385. Institutions and monuments help recall events, but cannot replace their context.

The monarchy also changed

Moving to the nineteenth century, the Liberal Revolution of 1820 opened the way to constituent Cortes, beginning work in 1821. Portugal’s first Constitution was approved in 1822. A king still existed: a constitution does not automatically mean a republic. Pedro IV granted the Constitutional Charter in 1826; in 1838 Maria II swore to a new Constitution. The path involved conflict and change rather than simple, continuous progress. Use these texts to recognise constitutional-monarchy stages without assigning them today’s institutional rules.

The Republic and its historical limits

The Republic was proclaimed on 5 October 1910. Its first Constitution was approved on 21 August 1911, and the Constituent National Assembly elected Manuel de Arriaga as first President. Do not infer that today’s universal suffrage already existed. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo’s vote in 1911 was a particular case, supported by a court ruling and her status as a widow and head of household. It did not mean all women could vote. Naming a regime and assessing political participation are different tasks.

Recap through changes

Make a timeline in three blocks: medieval kingdom formation; constitutional-monarchy texts; First Republic. Choose two milestones in each and explain their difference. Check yourself: which king promoted the Estudo Geral? Who granted the 1826 Charter? Who was the Republic’s first President? Answers: Dinis, Pedro IV and Arriaga. If two dates seem to mean the same thing, revisit the actions described. This selection is a study route rather than a complete history; use practice and sources to explore these points further.

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