n 1865 at the end of the American Civil War a substantial number of Southerners left the region; many moved to other parts of the United States, such as the American West, but a few left the country entirely. The most popular destination for emigration was the Brazilian Empire, where slavery remained legal.[1] Two Southeners sent to Brazil to reconnoitre returned with a favorable report.

Emperor Dom Pedro II wanted to encourage the cultivation of cotton. After the American Civil War, Dom Pedro offered the potential immigrants subsidized transport to Brazil, cheap land, and tax breaks.[2] Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee advised Southerners against emigration, but many ignored their advice and set out to establish a new life away from the destruction of war and Northern rule under Reconstruction.

Many Southerners who took the Emperor's offer had lost their lands during the war, were unwilling to live under a conquering army, or simply did not expect an improvement in the South's economic position. In addition, Brazil still had slavery (and did not abolish it until 1888). Most of the immigrants were from the states of Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederados