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✅Was the first President of the Portuguese Republic from the Azores?

Manuel José de Arriaga Brum da Silveira was the first President of the Portuguese Republic, democratically and constitutionally elected (1911-1915).

The son of Sebastião de Arriaga and Maria Antónia Pardal Caldeira de Arriaga, he was born in the city of Horta on July 8, 1840. In 1865, he graduated in Law from the University of Coimbra and, as a lawyer, defended many persecuted Republicans. He also worked as a high school English teacher in Lisbon.

A remarkable orator, he contributed through his speeches to the advent of the Republic. He wrote poetry and short stories with a romantic tendency, as well as several political and social works, among which stand out On the Unity of the Human Family from an Economic Perspective and The Loss of Portuguese National Identity under the Monarchical Regime, among others.

A member of the Republican Party, he was part of its leadership at the time of the January 31, 1891, uprising. He was elected as a deputy for the Republican minority, representing Madeira in 1882 and Lisbon in 1890.

Following the events of October 5, 1910, and in an effort to calm the agitated students at the University of Coimbra, he was appointed Rector of the university, taking office on October 17, 1910. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of 1911 and, shortly thereafter, was chosen by Congress as President of the Republic.

Regarding the Church, he sought to maintain a good relationship while upholding the supremacy of civil power. During his presidency, he made every effort to reconcile the various Republican factions, but his mandate was constantly troubled, especially by Paiva Couceiro’s incursions aimed at restoring the Monarchy. The outbreak of World War I further complicated his role, forcing him to form multiple governments, always with great difficulty.

In 1915, the dictatorship of Pimenta de Castro was overthrown by the Constitutionalist Revolution of May 14, which forced Manuel de Arriaga to resign 12 days later. He left the Palácio de Belém under the escort of Republican Guard forces. He died, disheartened, two years later, on March 5, 1917.

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