Social and Economic Change in 19th Century Spain
Andalusian Agrarian Revolts
Every struggle has a purpose: gaining deserved freedom. By 1850, Andalusian peasants began enduring the worst years of their lives. The unequal distribution of property and the increasing proletarianization of the peasantry led to a radicalization of peasant movements. The final straw was the new confiscation by the Progressives, who sold off most of the land to private hands, stifling any hope of a deal more beneficial to the laborers. It seems incredible that these inequalities would persist.
Agrarian insurrections became commonplace in the Andalusian countryside. Peasant uprisings generally involved illegal land occupations and redistribution among laborers. They often burned notarial property records and clashed with law enforcement.
In 1855, a significant land occupation movement took place in Andalusia. A few years later, a revolt shook the people of Utrera and El Arahal in Seville. In the following years, more serious and organized uprisings occurred. Six hundred peasants rose up in Loja, and up to forty-three villages in the provinces of Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Almeria, and Jaen formed an army of 10,000 armed men and as many unarmed. However, the lack of genuine political support and fear of the movement’s radicalism ultimately led to its failure. Nevertheless, the desire for land and peasant movements persisted for over half a century.
Population Growth
Spain’s population increased throughout the century, growing over 50% from 11 million in 1800 to slightly over 18 million in 1900. However, this growth was modest compared to other European powers during this period. This increase was mainly concentrated in the latter two-thirds of the century, as the War of Independence and the emancipation of the colonies impacted earlier growth. Additionally, industrial coastal regions (Catalonia and Basque Country) grew faster than inland agricultural regions (Castilla and Extremadura). Another characteristic was the population shift from rural to urban areas. Although only Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia exceeded 100,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the century, several cities boasted populations between 100,000 and 200,000 by the end.
Industry
Industrialization in the nineteenth century was significantly delayed and incomplete in Spain, particularly during its initial phase until 1830. While significant momentum was expected between 1850 and 1870, it was hampered by three primary factors:
- Asturian coal was expensive, difficult to extract, and had low calorific value.
- The population had low purchasing power, resulting in insufficient demand to necessitate introducing new machinery in the industry.
- Lack of capital forced reliance on foreign investment.
The two key sectors of industrialization were textiles and steel, concentrated in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
Cotton processing expanded, and in 1833, the Bonaplata factory in Barcelona introduced the steam engine to its workshops. The Catalan textile sector experienced rapid growth from then until 1860. However, the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 coincided with a European “cotton hunger” that benefited the textile industry thanks to protectionist measures. In the 1880s, demand from Cuba and Puerto Rico provided a new impetus for the sector, with capital flowing out of Barcelona and other cities like Terrassa or Sabadell specializing in other products.
Malaga was the first province to see the rise of steel companies. However, the Nervión basin, particularly around Bilbao, would emerge as the primary area for the steel industry. Bilbao’s port provided access to cheaper, higher-quality British coal, and iron was exported to England and Belgium on the same ships (Società Franco-Belge des Mines de Somorrostro, 1876). A blast furnace was established in Bolueta mid-century, and in 1902, the merger of three large companies led to the creation of Altos Hornos de Vizcaya.
The First Social Movement
The limited industrialization process meant that the number of industrial workers in Spain was quantitatively lower than in most industrialized societies. The majority were concentrated in Barcelona, with growing numbers in other areas like the Basque Country, Valencia, and Asturias.
The first trade union associations emerged in Catalonia. Meetings were held, and representatives were elected to negotiate with employers. This movement gave birth to the first union in Spain, the Company of Weavers, founded in Barcelona in 1840. Unions experienced some growth during the 1840s. These early trade unions were organized by trade, and besides demanding better working conditions and wages, they also functioned as friendly societies.
Disputes arose in several Spanish cities: Granada in 1839, Madrid in 1842, Valencia in 1843, Bejar wool mills in 1856, and Alcoy and Antequera in 1857. During the Progressive Biennium (1854-1856), the first general strike took place in Barcelona. In July 1855, the introduction of new spinning machines, the selfactinas, triggered worker strikes and demonstrations. Repression sparked a solidarity movement, with some radicals storming factories and destroying machinery. The protest was so significant that the Captain General of Catalonia prohibited the use of these machines. While employers refused to comply, a joint committee of employers and workers was formed, reaching an agreement on wage increases.
This event marked a qualitative leap in the consciousness of the proletariat and the beginning of class unionism, while consolidating the strike as an effective means of defending worker demands.
It was also during the Progressive Biennium, after the confiscation and sale of land to private hands, that agrarian insurrections became constant in the Andalusian countryside. Peasant uprisings typically involved illegal land occupations and redistribution among laborers, burning property records, and clashes with law enforcement.
In 1855, a substantial land occupation movement swept through Andalusia, Aragon, and Castile. In 1857, unrest erupted in Utrera and Arahal. Between 1861 and 1867, the entire Andalusian countryside remained tense. Six hundred peasants revolted in Loja, and up to forty-three villages in the provinces of Malaga, Granada, Almeria, and Jaen mobilized an army of 10,000 armed men and as many unarmed. However, the lack of genuine political support and fear of the movement’s radicalism ultimately led to its downfall.