Isabel II Reign: Liberalism and Carlist Wars in Spain
**Isabel II: Transition to Liberalism**
Following the death of Ferdinand VII in 1833, a transition stage began in Spain. At this stage, the division was consolidated into two streams of liberalism:
- The moderate Liberals, supporters of an intermediate between absolutism and popular sovereignty. They advocated a conservative liberalism.
- The progressive Liberals, supporters of the legislative work of the Cortes of Cadiz and social and political reform.
After the King’s death, Maria Cristina took the regency and appointed a Cabinet led by Cea Bermúdez. The reforms were conducted by Javier de Burgos. The same year as the death of Ferdinand, Don Carlos claimed the crown because the Salic law prevented a woman from ascending the throne. The Carlist War began. The change of government was inevitable, and in 1834 the queen called Martínez de la Rosa to form a new government composed of leading politicians of the liberal triennium. He conceived the Royal Statute, a constitution that was granted charter status, doctrinaire liberalism itself. The statute was a call for cuts in both chambers, the Estate of Peers, or upper house, and the Estate of Deputies, or lower house. The crown did not renounce sovereignty. Suffrage was limited to a minority of high rents. This reform was too moderate for some, and for the most reactionary, unacceptable. The government faced opposition from Liberals and Carlists.
**Revolution of 1835 and Mendizábal**
It was the Count of Toreno who replaced Martinez de la Rosa in 1835. He carried out important reforms with the help of Mendizabal. He again dissolved the Society of Jesus. The urban militia, of progressive ideology, staged uprisings in Barcelona, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Cadiz, which led to the formation of local boards to take up a revolutionary government and cutting anti-absolutist anticlerical. As a result of government measures and the revolution of 1835, relations with the Holy See broke down, and the regular clergy embraced the Carlist cause. The regent called Mendizabal to form a government.
From 1835 to 1837, he completed the political transition to the liberal system. The National Militia was reorganized under the name National Guard and was raised after the war in no time, thanks to revenue that would be obtained after the confiscation of church property. The secularization of Mendizabal was the nationalization by the state of rural and urban properties of the Church. The intention was to create a class of new owners addicted to the liberal cause and stabilize the public debt. Mendizabal’s plans failed. In the elections of 1836, the progressives won the election, but he had to resign, and the regent appointed Isturiz as president.
**Constitution of 1837**
The political situation stabilized. Progressives sought a change of government through a statement: the National Guard was in favor of the Constitution of 1812. There was a rebellion of a group of junior officers of the palace of La Granja. It was known as the mutiny of the sergeants of La Granja, which led to a progressive change of government. The new government restored some of the legislation of the Cortes of Cadiz. Municipalities became elected by universal male suffrage. The issue of local power was in dispute among liberals and moderates. Cortes were convened to draft a new constitution. The Constitution of 1837, of a progressive nature, recovered some aspects of liberalism in 1812. The most notable changes were:
- It reinforced the power of the crown. The legislative power was attributed to the Cortes and the King. The Crown also had the right of veto.
- Courts became bicameral. Parliament was divided into two chambers, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
Other issues that remained were the separation of powers and the importance of individual rights. Universal suffrage was replaced by census suffrage.
**Carlist Wars**
Chartism was a political movement whose origins are in 1820 with the regency of Urgel. Their ideological agenda was summed up in the defense of religion, the absolute monarchy, and the privileges of the ancien regime. The social bases were the clergy, the peasantry, and much of the nobility. The First Carlist War began at the death of Ferdinand VII. There were outbreaks organized by Zumalacárregui, the Carlist chief. The second stage was from 1835 to 1837. They stressed the expeditions of General Cabrera in command of part of the Carlist army. The highlight was the Royal Expedition, led by Carlos Maria Isidro. The third phase ended with the triumph of government troops.
Within the Carlists came a split between the more conservative and less radical, who triumphed, and led to the signing of the Convention of Vergara, between Espartero and Maroto. He promised to maintain the privileges of the Basques and the recognition of the Carlist army officers.
**Espartero’s Regency**
After the end of the war, there began a period known as the general scheme. Espartero, O’Donnell, and Narvaez stressed. Following the resignation of Maria Cristina, Espartero was appointed regent. He demanded to be the sole regent and succeeded only in 1841, with the support of Ayacucho and moderates. The work of his government was based on the sale of assets of the secular clergy, halted in 1840. Another aspect was his commitment to free trade. Free trade and the British ambassador’s interference in politics aroused the suspicion of the opposition. It led to an uprising in 1841, led by O’Donnell and other members of the moderate party, which ended in failure. In 1842, the crisis began in the regency.
He ordered the bombing of Barcelona. This reduced the supports. Espartero resigned the regency and ended its mandate, forcing the majority to overtake the queen with 13.
**Political Parties**
Political parties were groups of influential and powerful people who acted as election committees. The five main parties were:
- Democratic Party: Founded in 1849, universal male suffrage, support for the National Militia.
- Progressive Party: National sovereignty Cortes, census suffrage, middle-class social base, free trade.
- Liberal Union: 1850s, defense and social order, king-Cortes shared sovereignty.
- Moderate Party: King-Cortes shared sovereignty, reconciliation with the Church.
- Carlist Party: Provincial privileges and estates, restoration of the Inquisition.
**Moderate Decade**
With the government initiating the decade, Narvaez was moderate. His work focused on legislation that shaped a centralized and uniform state. It consisted of:
- A new constitution of 1845, moderate cut. Based on conservative liberalism, it established the joint sovereignty of the king and Cortes, Spain’s Catholic unity, the census suffrage, and the abolition of the National Militia.
- It suspended the sale of goods disentailed, and returned goods were not sold by their owners.
- Established a curriculum with three levels of education (primary, secondary, university).
- The laws of local and provincial administration in 1845 changed the functioning of municipalities.
- The Finance Act of 1845 simplified the tax system.
- It created the National Codification Commission. Codes emerged as the civil and criminal.
- The Civil Guard was created to protect agricultural land.
Narvaez had to confront progressives, democrats, military rebellions, and a Carlist War. There were three trends: a focused, directed by Narvaez, a more conservative and puritanical, Pacheco was ahead. In 1847, Pacheco was president of the government. His political action favored free trade and improved the tax collection system. From 1847 to 1851, Narvaez returned. He reorganized the provincial government with the creation of civil governors and perfected the system of electoral corruption.
**Concordat with the Holy See**
During the administration of Bravo Murillo, the Concordat with the Holy See was signed in 1851. It established new relations between the Church of Rome and the Spanish State. Catholicism was recognized as one of the Spanish nation, and the right of the Church to acquire and own property was recognized after admitting sales made after the law disentailments.
The first railway line was the Barcelona-Mataró.
**Progressive Biennium**
The progressive Biennium Espartero was chaired by the leader of the Progressives, and O’Donnell, the Liberal Union. The government first took action as changes in the governance of regional governments, called for elections to the Constituent Cortes, and forced the exile of Maria Cristina. These governments were faced with a new Carlist uprising. The 1855 law, the confiscation of Madoz, was the second major disentailed process of church property. It posed problems with the Holy See because it stated that the Spanish State was entitled to the church property. The Queen opposed the law, although she signed it. The other big issue was the public debt, which prevented the State from paying military officials. All this forced the resignation of Espartero, and the queen called O’Donnell.
**Constitution of 1856**
The constitution of 1856 is known as non-nata because it never came into force. It was progressive in nature, advocated popular sovereignty, recovered the National Militia, and established a bicameral parliament. The progressive biennium ended, and O’Donnell’s Liberal Union began.
**O’Donnell’s Liberal Union**
It was a period of stability until 1863. The new government headed by O’Donnell carried out the destruction of all political and legislative efforts of the biennium and dissolved the National Militia, restoring the moderate 1845 constitution. Progressive laws were maintained, such as the confiscation, which led to his dismissal. The queen called Narvaez. Such measures were aimed at a conservative government that turned to more conservative and authoritarian conservatism. He repealed the amendment to the Constitution of 1845 and suspended the confiscation. Emphasizes the Public Education Act developed by Moyano, which regulated the education system. It created secondary schools and recognized the right of the church to inspect the educational system.
He held major public works such as the Ebro Canal, the Canal de Isabel II, and the development of communications such as railways and telegraph. Narvaez resigned, and the queen called back O’Donnell. Foreign policy had several episodes. The most important was the war in Africa, from which Spain emerged stronger. Other interventions took place in Mexico, Cochin China, and Peru and the return of Santo Domingo.