Spain’s 19th Century Political and Economic Shifts
The Revolutionary Sexenio (1868–1874)
Shortly after the revolution triumphed in 1868, which led to the exile of the monarch, a provisional government was formed. This government promulgated the Constitution of 1869, the most advanced to date, which established a comprehensive bill of rights, including freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association. It also established national sovereignty, the division of powers, universal male suffrage, and the democratic monarchy.
Between 1869 and 1874, two periods succeeded each other, characterized by various forms of state:
Democratic Monarchy
The Italian Prince Amadeus of Savoy was elected King. He had to face political opposition from Republicans and supporters of the Bourbons, as well as various military insurrections. Faced with such a difficult situation, Amadeo abdicated in 1873, and the Republic was proclaimed.
The First Republic
During this period, the Constitution of 1873 was drafted but could not be enacted. It established a federal and decentralized system, sharing power between the central state and autonomous federal regions (fifteen states). The Republican government had to face a new Carlist War, the war in Cuba, and the insurrection of some municipalities, such as Cartagena, which proclaimed themselves independent cantons or republics. These problems favored the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.
Agricultural Transformations
The main agricultural transformations included:
Abolition of the Seigneurial Regime
The abolition of the seigneurial regime was held in 1811 in the Courts of Cádiz. Thanks to this measure, the estates passed from the state courts to become private property (territorial lordships).
Disentailment (Desamortización)
Disentailment consisted of the sale of entailed assets—that is, assets tied to certain institutions such as the clergy, nobility, or municipalities, which could not previously be sold. Thus, with successive laws, the state confiscated and auctioned Church property, abolished the birthright of the nobility, and forced the municipalities to sell their land.
The objectives of the confiscation were to obtain resources for the state and facilitate the access of peasants to the land. However, the system of sale by auction benefited wealthy groups and harmed small owners or tenants, who could not afford to buy land.
Agricultural Improvements
Agricultural improvements were limited. They consisted of increasing the cultivated area, especially for cereals and vines, and the slow introduction of technical advances, such as the use of fertilizers, machinery, and the extension of irrigation.
Restoration of Absolutism: Fernando VII
The Return to Absolutism
At the beginning of his reign, Ferdinand VII restored absolutism, abolished the work of the Courts of Cádiz, and persecuted liberals. Some went into exile, but others sought and achieved power by making pronouncements or military coups.
The Liberal Triennium (1820–1823)
Between 1820 and 1823, one of these pronouncements triumphed, led by Rafael del Riego in 1820, resulting in the Liberal Triennium. During this period, liberal governments restored the Constitution and the work of the Courts of Cádiz. Meanwhile, Ferdinand VII sought the support of the European absolutist powers integrated into the Holy Alliance. This alliance sent an army, the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis, which allowed Ferdinand VII to restore absolutism.
The Ominous Decade
The last ten years of his reign, known as the Ominous Decade, were marked by the absolutist government, the independence of Spanish America, and the succession problem. This problem arose when, upon the birth of his daughter Isabel, Ferdinand VII repealed [the Salic Law].