Spain’s 1869 Constitution & the 1868 Revolution
**Constitution of 1869**
Commentary
We have found a text of a legal nature, as it is the first democratic constitution in the history of Spain. This constitution was promulgated on June 5, 1869. In the political landscape, there were three groups: Moderates, Progressives, and the Liberal Union. There was a rail crisis and student revolts known as the “Noche de San Daniel,” where Castelar was expelled.
In 1866, at Ostend, Progressives and Democrats came together to defeat Elizabeth II, signing the Pact of Ostend. In 1868, there was a political, civil, and military movement. This pronouncement was directed by Prim, headed by Admiral Topete. A second consequence was that Isabel was overthrown and went to France. There was a duality of powers: revolutionary committees that clearly posed a radical program of delivery and players.
In October, the provisional government was formed by Progressives and Serrano, Prim, Zorrilla, etc. Elections were held. There were four political groups: Republicans, Carlists, Catholics, and the Monarchist-Democratic coalition. The Monarchist-Democratic coalition, headed by Prim, won. Here, the political system was decided, and the search for a new king, Amadeo, began.
Regarding the author, the text belongs to the courts. These courts were elected by universal suffrage, and they drafted the Constitution of 1869. In the election, a democratic monarchy was chosen.
The recipient of the text is the Spanish people, motivated by the triumph of universal suffrage and national sovereignty. The upper-middle classes supported, in principle, the second uprising against Elizabeth. But the dynamics of events led them to lean towards the Alfonsino Canovist system.
As for the analysis of the text, there are different ways of doing this. We are inclined to the logical method since it allows us to express more clearly the principal and secondary ideas in the text.
- Wide declaration of individual rights and freedoms: It shows different individual freedoms, such as freedom of residence, inviolability of the mail, the right of assembly and association, and freedom of education.
- Development of universal suffrage and the defense of national sovereignty: It provides direct universal suffrage for men over 25 years of age and maintains the defense of national sovereignty.
- Defense of constitutional monarchy: The executive agreed with the British formula of “the king reigns but does not govern.” Executive power is exercised through their ministers, responsible before the courts, limiting the monarch to enact and implement laws.
Regarding the commentary, we can establish the following contents, taking into account the historical context of the text.
The 1869 Constitution is the first democratic constitution, and it was the people who decided the political system by voting in the courts.
Workers were able to associate freely and formed cooperatives or residence associations, which then provided the backbone of the AIT.
The 1869 Constitution established a constitutional monarchy as a political system in which sovereignty resided in the nation, with the express recognition of the division of powers. It inaugurated a new phase with a liberal, but not as liberal, civil code.
Lastly, we have a problem: the monarchy has no king. Serrano assumed the regency, but Amadeo took power. Gradually, groups opposed to the monarchy began to emerge, and in 1873, Amadeo abdicated. Therefore, the Congress and Senate assumed sovereignty and proclaimed the Republic.
The Constitution of 1869 was influenced by constitutions such as those of 1873, 1878, and 1931.
Revolution of 1868
This revolutionary movement started to drive Isabel II from power. A series of circumstances were given in which we are reaching the end of the reign of Isabel II. Members of the Democratic and Progressive parties joined in Ostend in the Ostend Pact, which aimed to overthrow Elizabeth II. It was composed of local boards and the military, who wanted to give a coup. The involvement of two opposing forces, the bourgeoisie and the people, introduced from the outset a factor of disturbance that would compromise the future. The ultimate goal of the bourgeoisie was to end the obstacles to the modernization of the capitalist system, and for the lower classes, the main claim was the transformation of the structure of land ownership. We are going to find an economic crisis due to the collapse of railway campaigns, crops (wheat), an increase in unemployment, and a political crisis for Progressives and Democrats due to their exclusion from the political system.
The liberal uprising was led by Prim and Topete, throwing a speech to the people: “Viva España con Honra!” (“Long Live Spain with Honor!”). It was a popular movement by local boards. This revolution has not been regarded as a revolutionary process by some authors, as the only real goal was to overthrow Elizabeth II and, in any case, to determine a new political situation later.
The revolution began with a reference to the body of the Navy in Cadiz, led by Topete. He won easily and without bloodshed. Prim immediately moved to Spain from exile, and the First Junta was established. On September 20, fundamental revolutionary principles were released:
- Universal suffrage
- Total freedom of the press
- Abolition of the death penalty and the fifth
- Abolition of consumer law and the choice of door and courts to draw up a constitution
In Madrid, the forces loyal to Elizabeth II were organized, and these were defeated by General Serrano. The Queen, on holiday in San Sebastian, took the road to exile. Isabel II was overthrown by the boards, which set up their demands for disbanding. They were dissolved by Prim. The evolution of the revolutionary process changed to a provisional government, which became a constitutional stage.