Portuguese Recapture of Northeast Brazil (Loss of Dutch Brazil)

Timeline

1. 1630–1644Dutch Brazil (New Holland) · BrazilIn 1630 the Dutch West India Company captured Pernambuco and extended control to roughly 1,500 km of Brazil's northeast coast, establishing Dutch Brazil (New Holland) with Mauritsstad (today's Recife) as capital. During John Maurice of Nassau's governorship (1637-1644) Dutch Brazil reached its peak, pursuing religious tolerance, attracting Jewish merchants, and developing sugar exports.
2. 1645–1649Guararapes · BrazilIn 1645 Brazilian Portuguese settlers and local natives rose in joint revolt against Dutch rule. Two decisive battles at Guararapes in April 1648 and February 1649 saw Portuguese-Brazilian forces under Francisco Barreto twice defeat the Dutch, compressing them into coastal cities. Thereafter the Dutch West India Company fell into financial difficulties and could not reinforce its Brazilian garrison.
3. 1654Recife · BrazilOn January 27, 1654 the last Dutch West India Company governor at Recife, Wouter Gunt, signed a surrender agreement with Portugal; Dutch garrison and personnel withdrew from Brazil, formally ending 24 years of Dutch colonial rule. Portugal fully restored control of northeast Brazil, the Dutch West India Company's expansion strategy in the Americas failed, and in 1661 the Netherlands formally renounced its sovereignty claim to Brazil through diplomacy in exchange for an indemnity of 4 million guilders.