Bento Gonçalves da Silva

{{Short description|First President of the Riograndense Republic}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}

{{Onesource|date=November 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Bento Gonçalves

| image = Retrato de Bento Gonçalves da Silva (Museu de História Júlio de Castilhos).jpg

| caption = Portrait, {{circa|1844–46}}{{efn|One of the two authenticated images of Bento, together with a daguerreotype.{{sfn|Hüttner|2020|pp=45–46}}}}

| order = President of the Riograndense Republic

| office =

| vicepresident = Gomes Jardim

| term_start = 6 November 1836

| term_end = 1841

| predecessor = Office established

| successor = Gomes Jardim

| spouse = Cayetana Juana Francisca García González

| children =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1788|09|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, State of Brazil

| death_date = {{death date and age|1847|7|18|1788|8|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Pedras Brancas, Rio Grande do Sul, Empire of Brazil

| party = Ragamuffin Party

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| battles = {{plainlist |

• First Banda Oriental Campaign
• Second Banda Oriental Campaign
• Cisplatine War
• Ragamuffin War

}}

| allegiance = {{flag|Kingdom of Portugal|1750}}
{{flagdeco|Portugal|1816}} United Kingdom
{{flag|Empire of Brazil}}
{{flag|Riograndense Republic}}

| branch = Portuguese Army
Imperial Brazilian Army
Riograndense Army

| serviceyears = 1811–1844

}}

Bento Gonçalves da Silva (23 September 1788 – 18 July 1847) was a Brazilian army officer, politician and rebel leader of the Riograndense Republic. He was the first President of the Riograndense Republic and, by all accounts, one of the most prominent figures in the history of Rio Grande do Sul.

Although a staunch monarchist,{{sfn|Rodrigues|1990|p=380}} Gonçalves led the rebel forces in the Ragamuffin War. Radicals within the rebel ranks forced the rebellion to become republican, which Gonçalves opposed.{{sfn|Rodrigues|1990|p=372}} Still, even though he fought against the Empire of Brazil, Gonçalves and his troops celebrated the birthday of the young emperor Pedro II of Brazil.{{sfn|Rodrigues|1990|p=382}} After the conflict ended with the victory of the Empire, Gonçalves paid his respect to Pedro II by kissing his hand during the latter's trip to Rio Grande do Sul in December 1845.{{sfn|Rodrigues|1990|p=382}}

His main companions in arms during the rebellion were Antônio de Sousa Neto and Giuseppe Garibaldi.