Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga

The son of a military officer, who was presumably a descendant of King João V; attended public lyceum at Ponta Delgada (1854-1859); educated at the University of Coimbra (1862-1867), graduating with a degree in law; awarded a doctor of law (1868); taught at Porto and Coimbra; became a professor of modern literature at Lisbon (1872); published several books on Portuguese folklore and collections of early songs and ballads; was influenced by the ideas of positivism; became a co-founder of O Positivismo magazine (1878); elected to the Cortes (1888); a supporter of republicanism, he joined (1890) the Portuguese Republican Party (Partido Republicano Português, PRP) and was one of the authors of its program; as a member of the PRP Political Board, he was nominated President of the Provisional Government (5 Oct 1910 - 3 Sep 1911) after the proclamation of the republic; the Braga government introduced a number of important laws including a law on separation of church and state (20 Apr 1911), presided over the election (28 May 1911) of a constituent assembly, which opened on 19 Jun 1911; elected (29 May 1915) the President of the Republic to complete the term of Manuel de Arriaga after the fall of dictatorship of General Pimenta de Castro; presided over extending electoral franchise and holding the elections (13 Jun 1915) to the Câmara dos Deputados (Chamber of Deputies); suppressed a monarchist rising in Porto (August 1915); after the expiration of his presidential duties, he devoted himself exclusively to writing. Biography source: [5][6]