Despite the despondency and apathy Stephens recognized in the Portugal of the Iberian Union, the recovery of the independence in 1640 presented itself to the historian as a proof of “how impossible it is to a nation which has once been great to acquiesce the loss of its independence” (The Story of Portugal, 1891, p. 324). In this regard, the unfavourable picture Stephens drew of King João IV reveals some interest. By portraying the monarch as a mediocre man, hesitant and indecisive by nature, whose strength derived mainly from the queen, the Scottish historian diminished to a certain extent his role in the restitution of the independency of Portugal, highlighting not only the queen’s relevance in that process but also the perseverance of the Portuguese nation, which never resigned itself to the loss of independence. The eighteenth century is for Henry Morse Stephens the period of the history of Portugal with less interest, much due to the alliance established with the English that made the country “a mere province of England” from a political point of view. It is curious, however, that the historian considered the Methuen Treaty – which was perhaps the greatest foundation of the Portuguese-British relations in eighteenth century – “of infinite advantage” for Portugal. In any case, it should be borne in mind that, in his view, the Portuguese political existence was largely due to the treaty it established with the English, since it was that strengthening of relations that guaranteed the British support in future disputes. Although Portugal has restored its independence from Spanish domination, it was no longer the nation that had experienced the glories of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It was now living in a state of stagnation, incapable of notorious achievements and with no heroic figures to elevate its name. 

Despite having dedicated a significant part of his studies to the history of Modern Europe, focusing mainly on the transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, Henry Morse Stephens dealt little with the Portugal of the nineteenth century in his reflections on the Portuguese experience. However, two words must be said about its analysis. As it is well known, the first decades of the nineteenth century were marked by great instability, caused not only by the successive conflicts in Portuguese territory but also by the political vulnerability that culminated in the Civil War (1832-1834). Although Stephens have highlighted all these aspects, he emphasized above all what he considered to be the most remarkable Portuguese feature: “the singular tenacity with which the little country maintained its independence and its individuality” (The Story of Portugal, 1891, p. 409). As far as the nineteenth century is concerned, it is known that the Scottish historian found in the historians of the “new historical school” the main foundation of national cohesion, as well as the greatest opposition to the Iberian idea.

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