Republic of Acre

Infobox Former Country
native_name = "República do Acre"
conventional_long_name = Republic of Acre
common_name = Acre|
continent = South America
region =
country = Brazil
era =
status = unrecognized
government_type = Republic|
event_start = First Republic declared
year_start = 1899
date_start = July 14
event_end = Treaty of Petrópolis
year_end = 1903
date_end = November 11
life_span = 1899-1900
1903
p1 = Bolivia
flag_p1 = Flag of Bolivia.svg
p2 =
flag_p2 =
s1 = Bolivia
flag_s1 = Flag of Bolivia.svg
s2 = Brazil
flag_s2 = Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg
event1 = Restored to Bolivia
date_event1 = March 1900
event2 = Second Republic declared
date_event2 = November 1900
event3 = Second Republic suppressed
date_event3 = December 24, 1900
event4 = Third Republic declared
date_event4 = January 27, 1903|


flag_type = Flag of the Republic of Acre


flag_type = Flag of the Republic of Acre

---

symbol =
symbol_type =

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image_map_caption = Location of Acre in present-day Brazil|
capital = Antimary (Arieopolis)
largest_city = N/A
national_motto =
national_anthem =
common_languages = Portuguese, Spanish, English
religion =
currency = |

leader1 = Luis Gálvez Rodrígues de Arias
year_leader1 = 1899-1900
title_leader = President
deputy1 =
year_deputy1 =
title_deputy =
leader2 = José Plácido de Castro
year_leader2 = 1903
title_leader = President
deputy2 =
year_deputy2 =
title_deputy = |

stat_year1 = 1900
stat_area1 = 191000
stat_pop1 = 10000
stat_year2 =
stat_area2 =
stat_pop2 =
footnotes =

The Republic of Acre ( _pt. República do Acre) or the Independent State of Acre ( _pt. Estado Independente do Acre) were the names of a series of separatist governments in then Bolivia's Acre region between 1899 and 1903. The region was eventually annexed by Brazil in 1903 and is now the State of Acre.

History

The territory of Acre was assigned to Bolivia in 1867 by the Treaty of Ayacucho with Brazil. Due to the rubber boom of the late 19th century, the region attracted many Brazilian migrants. In 1899-1900, the Spanish journalist and former diplomat Luis Gálvez Rodríguez de Arias led an expedition that sought to seize control of what is now Acre from Bolivia. The expedition was secretly financed by the Amazonas state government and aimed to incorporate Acre into Brazil after its independence from Bolivia. Gálvez declared himself president of the First Republic of Acre on July 14 1899 and set up his capital at Antimary, which he renamed Arieopolis. That first republic lasted until March 1900, when the Brazilian government sent troops to arrest Gálvez and give Acre back to Bolivia. Gálvez was deported to Spain and the inhabitants of Acre found themselves up against both Bolivia and Brazil.

In November 1900 an attempt was made at creating a Second Acre Republic with Rodrigo de Carvalho as president. Again the movement was suppressed, and Acre remained part of Bolivia until 1903.

After the failure of the second attempt of Acre to secede from Bolivia, a veteran soldier from Rio Grande do Sul who had fought in the Federalist Revolution of 1893, José Plácido de Castro, was approached by the Acrean Revolution leaders and offered the opportunity to lead the independence movement against the Bolivians. Plácido, who had been working in Acre since 1899 as a chief surveyor of a surveying expedition and was about to go back to Rio de Janeiro, accepted the offer. He imposed strict military discipline and reorganized the revolutionary army, which reached 30,000 men. The Acrean army won battle after battle and on January 27, 1903, José Plácido de Castro declared the Third Republic of Acre. President Rodrigues Alves of Brazil ordered Brazilian troops into Northern Acre in order to replace Plácido as the president of Acre. Through Barão do Rio Branco's most able ministerial diplomacy, the question was settled. After negotiations a treaty was signed. The Treaty of Petrópolis, which was signed on November 11 1903, gave Brazil Acre (191.000 km²) in exchange for lands in Mato Grosso, payment of two million pounds sterling and an undertaking to construct the Madeira-Mamoré railroad that would allow Bolivia access to the outside world. It should be noted that for forty years, since around 1860, Acre had been overrun by Brazilians, who made up the vast majority of the population [cite book |title=The Amazon Rubber Boom, 1850-1920 |last=Weinstein |first=Barbara |year=1983 |publisher=Stanford University Press |location=Stanford, CA |isbn=0804711682 |pages=p 205] . On February 25, 1904 it was officially made a federal territory of Brazil.

In Popular Culture

The Republic of Acre forms the background to Márcio Souza's 1976 novel "Galvez – Imperador do Acre".

References

*cite book |title=Latin America's Wars: The Age of the Caudillo, 1791-1899 |last=Scheina |first=Robert L. |year=2003 |publisher=Brassey's |location= |isbn=1574884522 |pages=pp 7-9
* "New Republic Founded: The Evolution of a South American No Man's Land," "Philadelphia Inquirer", Nov 12, 1899, p 7
*"Acre Seeks Recognition: New South American Republic Sends a Minister to This Country," "New York Times," Nov 24, 1900, p 1
*"Acre and Its Rubber: Cause of the Establishment of the New Republic," "New York Times," Nov 25, 1900, p 12
*"A Short-Lived Republic: Acre, the Land of Rubber, No Longer a Separate Country," "New York Times," Nov 30, 1900, p 1
*"Acre Belongs to Brazil: A Settlement of the 'Rubber Republic' Dispute," "Kansas City Star", Aug 12, 1903, p 4

ee also

*Acre (state)
* [http://flagspot.net/flags/br-ac.html Evolution of the Acrean Flag]