Little Prince, Big Problems: The Brazilian Regency Era, 1831

Fiery ideals from the European 1830 Revolutions have made their way to the enormous Empire of Brazil, throwing the country into widespread civil unrest! Exhausted by the chaos, Emperor Pedro I shocks the kingdom and decides to abdicate his throne, setting sail for Europe immediately--and placing Pedro II, his five-year-old son, on the throne. As the mini-monarch is far too young to shoulder the burden of the royal crown, the senators form a provisional regency to govern Brazil. The regents and other court advisors of this period--the Brazilian Regency Era--aim to maintain a stable government until the preteen prince comes of age.

Threats to the kingdom lie at every step, however. Religious and ethnic tensions within its diverse lands (especially between Brazilian and Portuguese nationals) cause frequent clashes that must be addressed. At the same time, ideological political differences between liberal, conservative, military, and monarchist factions cause power grabs for ultimate control of both the Regency and its adolescent heir. Neighboring kingdoms announce aggressive territorial claims over disputed Brazilian lands, pushing the country closer to war. Finally, public clamor for greater economic and democratic representation manifests in rebellions and calls for complete reconstruction of the monarchy.

This committee begins in the early days of the Regency Era, where delegates step into the shoes of Brazil's most prominent governmental and cultural figures of the time. Can you negotiate your way through political, economic, and social turmoil while taking care of Pedro II and his country? Will you usher in Brazil's golden era of inspiration and reform or drag in a dark age of internal strife and chaos? The fate of one preschooler potentate--and one massive South American empire--is in your hands.