Capstone project
About
This is my capstone project; it compares Brazil and the United States, who are very different today despite analogous histories. This is primarily due to the stark discrepancies in geography and political stability between the two, which I explore in detail in my research paper. I also made an informative video which goes in depth to showcase the geographies of each country, as well as an infographic that gives a political and economic coparison.
What Sets a Country Up for Success?
A Look at Brazil and the US Through Their Historical Similarities and Modern Differences
Introduction
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In 1850, the United States and Brazil were strikingly similar. Brazil had been colonized by Portugal, but had won its independence in 1823 (“How Did Brazil”). Slavery had been the driving force for Brazil's economy for hundreds of years, and the indigenous people were being forced out of the land they rightfully owned, as well as taking huge hits to their populations due to European disease (“How Did Brazil”; Collen). The United States has a strikingly similar story. The US was colonized by Great Britain, but had gained its independence in 1787, 36 years before Brazil. Slavery too was at the center of the American economy—and had been for hundreds of years—and indigenous people here were also being forced out of their homes and killed by disease in large numbers (Newell; Collen).
However, today, Brazil and the US are vastly different. The United States is the most powerful country in the world, with a GDP of over $27 trillion (“Indicators”). It maintains the longest running constitution, and is the oldest continuous democracy still in existence (Desjardins). It does all of this while being home to over 340 million people, with a GDP per capita of roughly $80,000 (“Indicators”). Brazil, unfortunately, has not had the same luck. While it does control the second most wealth in the Americas, its GDP of $2.17 trillion is nowhere close to that of the United States (“Indicators”). Brazil's constitution is only 37 years old, and its political history has been plagued by corruption and military governments (“Constitutional History”). Though Brazil's population is lower than the US’ by roughly 120 million, its GDP per capita is eight times lower, at about $10,000 (“Indicators”).
These modern differences come from two primary factors; geography, and politics. Despite having parallel histories, the United States' ideal geography and continuous political stability has made it the superpower it is today, whereas Brazil has suffered from poor geography and constant political turmoil, preventing it from matching the US’ strength.
How Brazils Geography Prevents it from Becoming A Global Superpower
This video explains the geographical differences between the US and Brazil, and why those differences have contributed to the differing success of their respective countries.
COMING SOON!
Comparing Brazil and the US: Historically V.S. Today
This is an interactive infographic that provides visual for how similar Brazil and the US used to be, and how different they are now. While the video above focuses on the geographical differences, the infographic focuses on political and economic issues.
Historical Comparison:
United States
Both
Hover to expand points
Brazil
Abolished slavery in 1865
Abolished slavery in 1888
Received 5% of slave imports from Africa
Received 40% of slave imports from Africa
Segregation after slavery
No segregation
Slaves harvested mainly cotton, but sugar and tobacco as well
Slaves harvested mostly sugar and tobacco
Pre-Colombian inhabitants
Before European contact in 1492, the Americas were home to hundreds of indigenous societies. Mound-building cultures like the Cahokia lived in the Mississippi Valley, and the Wampanoag and Massachusett peoples inhabited modern day Massachusetts. Before the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, the estimated population of Indigenous people north of Mexico was around five million (Taylor 40).
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These peoples developed unique social, political, and economic systems that adapted to their environments. For instance, five tribes united to form the Iroquois Confederacy after signing the Great Law of Peace, which is now recognized as the oldest living participatory democracy on Earth (Essential Understandings).
Similarly, modern-day Brazil was inhabited by an estimated 11 million Indigenous people from indigenous civilizations like the Tupi, Guarani, and Yanomami, who thrived in the Amazon rainforest, coastal regions, and savannas. These people were farmers, hunters, and fishermen, and their cultures were connected to nature (“The Brazilian Indigenous People”).
European colonies
Both Brazil and the United States were originally colonized by European powers. England controlled the 13 colonies from 1607-1776, while Brazil was colonized by Portugal for much longer, from 1500-1822.
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In 1776, after unhappiness with oppressive rule from King George III, the colonies declared their independence. After a long war fought by the underpowered rebels, Britain surrendered in 1783, and the United States was born.
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In 1808, the Portuguese royal family fled to their colony in Brazil after Napoleon's rise to power. Once they were able to return to Portugal, they left a man named Pedro I to govern the colony. Soon after this, in 1822, Pedro I declared Brazil's independence. The colonists and Portugal then fought a two-year war, resulting in Portugal recognizing Brazil and signing the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro (“How Did Brazil”).
Plantation economies
Both Brazil and the United States had plantation-based economies conducting large scale agriculture, although the crops were different between the two. For both colonies, enslaved labor drove their economies, raising plantation profits, and thus promoting territorial expansion for even more plantations (“Brazil: The Story”; “Slavery in America”)
By 1540, plantation owners in Brazil started buying and shipping enslaved people from Africa. With this large influx of workers, the plantation owners looked for more land to harvest, and expanded westward into the jungle (“How Did Brazil”).
For the United States, the 1793 invention of the cotton gin caused slavery to skyrocket as cotton was now a viable crop to harvest, and young America wanted cotton more than anything else. Cotton accounted for half of the United States’ GDP by 1850; all of the manufacturing and railroad companies combined were not worth as much (Martin).
Slavery
As colonies, the Portuguese and British settlers initially enslaved the indigenous populations, but transitioned to the import of Africans after European diseases killed large numbers of the indigenous people (“How Did Brazil”; Collen; Newell). The two nations continued to rely on slavery after independence, and it remained as the top economic priority as it was so profitable (Marques). In Brazil, slavery persisted until 1888, while in the US, it was abolished in 1865 after the Civil War.
Modern Comparison:
United States
Both
Hover to expand points
Brazil
Hundreds of years of political stability
24th lowest corruption
Strong currency
Good crisis management
Higher education funding*
26.1% world GDP share
Long periods of political turmoil
104th lowest corruption
Weak currency**
Poor crisis management
Lack of education funding
2.05% world GDP share
Diversity &
racial inequality
Both countries used the institution of slavery to kick start their economies and continued to implement it for enormous profit. In both countries Black people were subjected to intense discrimination after slavery, making it hard for them to gain any kind of wealth (Horowitz; Telles).
Whites in Brazil earn twice as much as non-whites, and non-whites are much less likely to improve their socioeconomic status when compared to whites from similar class origins. Studies even show that a sibling with a darker complexion will receive fewer educational opportunities compared to a lighter skinned sibling (Telles). All of this causes Brazil's middle class and elite to remain predominantly white, over 140 years post slavery.
In the US, slavery’s effects still persist through systemic racism, inequality, and economic deprivation. When slavery was abolished, laws were passed to keep African Americans from gaining wealth, effectively making them still subject to whites through things like sharecropping. Segregation began in 1865, banning Black people from accessing the far superior facilities, jobs, housing, and education of the whites. Black voters were also subjected to poll taxes, unfair tests, and voter intimidation. This discrimination has led to Black people being significantly worse off than whites, as Black workers today only make 71 cents for every dollar a white worker makes (“Earnings Disparities”).
Political polarization
The U.S. and Brazil have both experienced increasing political polarization in the last few decades.
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In the US, Donald Trump—a far right candidate—won the presidency in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024. Trump commands a large base of followers which has become known as the MAGA movement. Trump's time in office has been marked by strong rhetoric against immigration, media institutions, and political elites, as well as controversial policies on climate change, healthcare, and international relations.
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In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro followed a similar populist trajectory, earning him the nickname: “Trump of the Tropics”. He promoted conservative social policies, rejected political correctness, and downplayed issues like COVID-19 and climate change. After Bolsonaro, Brazil elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has also had non-consecutive terms like Trump. Lula is a left wing politician who has promoted social welfare programs and education, but his presidency has included multiple scandals, like the Mensalão vote-buying scandal.
