Spain’s 1868 Revolution & 19th Century Political Landscape
Revolutionary Proclamation of 1868: An Analysis
This text justifies and expresses the goals of the revolutionaries. It states that the aims are to establish a provisional government to pass a political system based on universal suffrage. It then details the justifications: corruption, lawlessness, and lack of freedoms. Paradoxically, many of the signatories were, or had been, senior political and military figures during the reign of Elizabeth II.
- Universal Suffrage: The right to vote in the election of representatives of the organs of power, in which all people over a certain age can vote.
- Liberals: People who favor a constitutional monarchy, but from a liberal perspective. They are divided between moderates and progressives.
- Constitution: A fundamental law of state organization that regulates the basic rights and freedoms of citizens and the powers and institutions of the political system.
The Sandhurst Manifesto: A Summary
Alfonso de Borbón, after stating that he is the sole legitimate representative of the right of the Crown (lines 1-3), outlines his ideas. Given the current mismanagement, the natural solution is the usual combination of monarchy and Cortes (as in 1812 or 1840) (lines 3-5). The constitutional monarchy will be flexible in solving problems (lines 7-9). Finally, he presents himself as Spanish (in contrast to Amadeus of Savoy and Charles VII), Catholic (to subtract Carlist supporters), and Liberal (to win over former revolutionaries) (lines 9-12).
- Hereditary, Constitutional Monarchy: This was the type of monarchy during the reigns of Elizabeth II and Alfonso XII. They were holders of the crown according to traditional and hereditary right. As monarchs, their authority was limited by constitutional texts, but they retained their status as the main state power, as owners of the executive and co-owners of the legislative branch.
- Cortes: Representative assemblies or chambers. In the Old Regime, they had a stratified composition and functions increasingly constrained by absolutism. After the liberal revolution, they were turned into legislative bodies and came to be generally formed by deputies elected based on individual persons entitled to vote.
- Liberal Ideology: This ideology emerged in the 18th century and triumphed in the 19th. It advocated for national sovereignty, the division of powers, individual rights, private property, free markets, and free competition.
Decree of Confiscation: Key Points
The text begins by explaining the reasons for the confiscation: to reduce public debt, revive agriculture, industry, and commerce, promote the idea of private property, and finally, to support Elizabeth II. (These ideas had already been aired by the Enlightenment). Not only should the public debt be lowered, but many owners should also be created to support the success of Elizabeth II. In conclusion, the two paragraphs deal with the similarity between confiscation and the establishment and triumph of the monarchy of Isabel II.
Important Figures and Concepts
- Elizabeth II: Queen of Spain, daughter of Ferdinand VII. During her reign, the First Carlist War occurred, as well as the definitive establishment of liberalism as a governing system and the onset of incipient industrialization. Her reign was also marked by frequent crises and ended with the Revolution of 1868.
- National Debt: This term defines the money the state owes for having borrowed (debt) to cover deficits. At the time, it was one of the most important and urgent economic problems of the Mendizabal government. It had existed since the time of Godoy and was exacerbated by the Revolutionary War (military spending) and the reign of Fernando VII (loss of American income, refusal to recognize the debts of the Cortes of Cadiz and the Liberal Triennium, and confiscations).
- Manos Muertas (Dead Hands): Depreciated property belonging to municipalities, the nobility, and the church. They were perpetually tied to feudalism and could not be sold or alienated, nor did they pay taxes. During the 18th century, there were numerous attempts to stop this kind of property from increasing, but the aristocracy and the church steadfastly opposed any measure limiting it. The removal of such property, contrary to freedom and economic development, was one of the objectives of liberal-bourgeois revolutions.