Early Life
Rodrigo Augusto da Silva was born on 7 December 1833, in the imperial city of São Paulo, capital of the province of São Paulo. He was the son of José Manuel da Silva and Maria Reducinda da Cunha e Silva. He had one older brother named Candido Justiniano and two sisters, named Raphaela and Joaquina Angelica. Rodrigo was the paternal grandson of José da Silva de Carvalho, a municipal judge and commanding officer of the Portuguese ordinances in Santo Amaro. Rodrigo's grandfather was a wealthy land owner and capitalist that acted as a private mortgage lender. Rodrigo's father followed his father's steps and got involved in commerce and finance in the city of São Paulo. In his banking career José Manuel became president of the São Paulo branch of the Bank of Brazil and the Caixa Econômica. As a leader of the moderate party, later conservative party, José Manuel was part of the government of São Paulo in the years after the Independence of Brazil, serving in different positions in the municipal and provincial governments.
Rodrigo attended the Largo de São Francisco Law School where he graduated with a bachelor of laws degree in 1856. In law school he was a member of a secret society called Brasilica. This society was founded by law students and had as its main objective the strengthening of conservative ideas. The society counted among the initiated political figures connected to Rodrigo and the conservative party, among them Antonio da Silva Prado, Thomas Coelho and Delfino Cintra. According to a biographer, in his academic years Rodrigo "revealed a lucid and easy intelligence, firmness of character, unbreakable dedication, clear vision and noble political ideas." Rodrigo spoke and wrote notoriously well, had a passion for classical literature and knew how to dress with great elegance. These characteristics would later afford him the nickname "the diplomat". While still a student in 1856 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo, he finished his senior year and occupied a seat in the Legislative Assembly at the same time. In 1857 he moved to Rio de Janeiro to occupy a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo was a permanent substitute and represented the 1st district of São Paulo. In Rio de Janeiro he married Catharina de Queirós Mattoso Ribeiro, daughter of conservative leader Eusébio de Queirós. Catharina would die during the birth of Maria Custodia, the couple's only child.
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