The First Portuguese Republic

The first Portuguese Republic stood between 1910 and 1926. Freedom of press and of association became constitutional rights and incentivized a powerful and very diversified associative movement in which trade unions and friendly societies stood out in the political spectrum as they promoted popular education and culture. The time-span studied is characterized by Portugal's colonial expansion in Africa. Education emerged a different relationship between State and Church, new avenues for the development of economic activity, an increased focus on better labor conditions, and emigration to Brazil. Miriam Halpern Pereira provides a clear overview of the Republic's many achievements and the internal political and wider international limitations resulting in its downfall.