Bourbon Reforms and Industrial Revolutions: Spain and Beyond

Posted on Jan 13, 2025 in Geography

Policy Reforms Under the Bourbon Dynasty

With the change of dynasty, the Bourbons imposed a new government model in Spain, inspired by French absolutism.

Key Features of Bourbon Rule

  1. The King, surrounded by his court, acted as the sole center of political power. Felipe V, the first Bourbon king, centralized power by abolishing the privileges or laws in force in the various territories of the Crown of Aragon through the Nueva Planta decrees.
  2. The old model of the Habsburg government, based on councils and validos, was replaced by a cabinet consisting of ministers or secretaries.

Economic Reforms

Agriculture

Spanish agriculture was backward due to natural constraints such as a dry climate and a scarcity of fertile land due to rough terrain. Enlightenment thinkers criticized the poor distribution of property. They believed that mortmain properties and primogeniture should be abolished. Carlos III ceded royal lands in the Sierra Morena to be exploited by foreign settlers.

Trade

Trade was hampered by internal customs and poor roads. The Bourbons favored public works to improve infrastructure.

Industry and Finance

Enlightenment governments favored domestic industry, especially in the textile sector, with the establishment of thousands of looms scattered throughout numerous rural peasant homes to produce cloth.

Cadastre

Several cadastres were implemented throughout the century, but the most important one was named after a creek minister.

Creoles

Creoles were white individuals of Spanish descent born in America. The fundamental difference between them and Spaniards was that they were born in America and were not allowed to hold important positions in the colonial administration.

The First Industrial Revolution

England was the first country to industrialize, beginning in the 1750s. The textile industry led the way. Wool, the usual raw material for European clothing, was replaced by cotton imported from India and the United States. Production increased due to inventions that mechanized textile production stages. In 1785, Cartwright invented a loom using a steam engine.

The Steel Industry

The steel industry was the second key industrial sector of this era. There was an increased demand for iron tools and machinery for agriculture and textiles.

The Second Industrial Revolution

Key Developments

  1. New industrial powers emerged, such as Germany, the USA, and Japan.
  2. In 1859, the first oil well was drilled in the USA. Oil began to be used as a new source of energy. A new form of energy, electricity, replaced the mechanical energy of the steam engine.
  3. The Steel Industry: A spectacular breakthrough was achieved with the Bessemer converter, which could transform large amounts of iron into steel.
  4. The Chemical Industry: This industry specialized in replacing natural products with synthetic ones, generating new industries for fertilizers, dyes, explosives, flavorings, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes.
  5. Transport: The automobile, with its gasoline engine invented in 1886, incorporated many advancements. This era also marked the beginning of the age of aviation.

Business Organizations

  • Cartel: Business associations that produce the same product agree on prices and the distribution of goods.
  • Trust: A number of companies in the same branch join to form a single entity.
  • Holding: A financial company that owns other companies engaged in diverse activities.