The Spanish Hapsburgs had taken control over Portugal in 1580, turning the land into a dual monarchy. As one could imagine, many resentment built up over the years that a foreign controller had dominion over the Portuguese people; hence, the start of the Portuguese Restoration War.
On this day December 1st, in 1640, John IV becomes king and claims Portugal’s independence from Spain. This also marks the same day as the start of the Portuguese Restoration War. Portugal was being overtaxed by the Spanish King, Phillip V, and many Portuguese Colonies were not being protected adequately. The Portuguese took this opportunity because other rebellions began springing up at the same time.
The war would continue on until 1668 when Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Lisbon. Under this agreement, Portugal would remain its own ruler, and the city of Ceuta was given to Spain. Portugal went on to form colonies itself, the most famous one being Brazil, where the national language is still Portuguese. Portugal currently has a population of approximately 10.5 million people.