Facing an uprising by the Portuguese planters in Dutch Brazil and having concluded a Peace Treaty with the Spanish in 1647, the Dutch sent an expeditionary force to Brazil, consisting of 41 ships with 6000 men. This expeditionary force arrived late in Recife (Mauritsstad) and faced numerous problems. In April 1648, the Portuguese routed the expeditionary force at the First Battle of Guararapes, fought outside Recife.
