1841 Riograndense general election (Rags to Riches)

The first general election in the history of the Riograndense Republic on August 15, 1841. These election were held to elect the country's first president and its first constitutional legislature. These elections mark the beginning of the Liberal Consensus, a period of forty years of one-party rule by the Farroupilha Party (later renamed 'Liberal Party'). Bento Gonçalves da Silva, running unopposed, was unanimously elected as the first President of the Republic.

Background
The elections were held during the closing days of the Constitutional Assembly and served as a referendum on the proposed liberal democratic constitution. This constitutional project marked a victory for liberal and radical political movements in the region, as the text espoused the ideals of liberty and secularism. The August Constitution would create a presidentialist regime similar to that of the United States. However, the American bicameral legislature was replaced by a single house, the Chamber of Deputies.

Electoral system
The elections were held under a first-past-the-post electoral method. While the presidential candidate Gonçalves was running unopposed, he would have been required to gain the largest part of the vote if a second or third candidate was present. The candidates for the Chamber of Deputies were elected from 100 single-member constituencies via the same first-past-the-post system.