He was born December 2, 1825 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He succeeded his father, Pedro I, upon the elder Dom Pedro's abdication, April 7, 1831.
Dom Pedro II was married September 4, 1843 to Princess Teresa of the Two Sicilies.
Liberal in outlook, he took steps to industrialize Brazil and abolish slavery. This, however, brought him into conflict with the more conservative elements of Brazilian society. At the same time, the liberal elements, which he encouraged, eventually decided that Pedro was not willing to go far enough fast enough and also rejected his rule. He was deposed on November 15, 1889, and the imperial family was exiled. He died on December 5, 1891 in Paris, France.