This event marked a new era in the history of the city, as it gave a great impetus to its growth, and did much to refine the manners and exalt the tastes of its people. There were naturally many parasites attached to the Portuguese Court who became heavy burdens upon the treasury and who afterwards were the cause of much trouble, but at the same time there were many men and women of education and refinement who did much to improve and embellish the new world capital of the Portuguese Crown. One of the best and wisest measures of this monarch was the opening of Brazilian ports to foreign commerce on January 28th, 1808, the date of his arrival at Bahia, and the second that of permitting the free exercise of every kind of industry to all classes of Brazilians, which was effected by a decree of April 1st, 1808.

Up to this time no foreign vessel was permitted to enter a Brazilian port, except to repair damages or to obtain supplies, and it was rare thing, therefore, to see a foreign flag. The first year after the royal letter of January 28th, several foreign mercantile houses were established in Rio de Janeiro and 90 foreign vessels, besides 760 Portuguese, were entered at its customhouse. In 1810, 422 foreign and 1,240 Portuguese vessels were entered, which shows how rapidly the commerce of the port increased under the new condition of things.

A new era now opened to Rio de Janeiro. The introduction of foreign mercantile enterprise and the removal of the industrial restrictions, which had weighed so heavily on the country, Concépzrsrions gave a great impulse to the commercial and industrial development of the city. In addition to these wise measures, D. Joao VI established during his first year’s residence a royal treasury, a national bank, supreme tribunals of justice and finance, and, for the first time in Brazil, a printing office and official gazette. Various corporations for the regulation of commerce and industry were also created. In the following year a college of medicine and surgery was founded, in 1810 a royal military academy, and in 1814 a public library, composed principally of some sixty thousand volumes brought from Portugal.