Spain’s Liberal Revolution 1833-1868: Key Events & Reforms
The Liberal Revolution in Spain (1833-1868)
The Moderate Decade (1844-1854)
The 1844 elections gave the Moderates a majority. A government headed by Narvaez was formed, promoting policies based on the principles of moderate liberalism. The government reformed the progressive Constitution of 1837 and approved the new Constitution of 1845, which reflected the core ideas of conservatism, including joint sovereignty between the King and the Cortes. Furthermore, the government attempted to improve relations with the Church. In 1851, a Concordat was signed with the Holy See, suspending the sale of Church property and returning unsold properties. In return, the Holy See recognized Isabel II, while the state committed to the maintenance of the Spanish Church.
The Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)
The authoritarianism of the Moderate government led to opposition and the uprising of Progressives and Democrats. This union resulted in the pronouncements of June 1854 in Vicálvaro, led by General O’Donnell, who founded a new party: the Liberal Union. The rebels drew up the Manifesto of Manzanares, demanding enforcement of the Constitution of 1845 and electoral law reform. Espartero became president again, and O’Donnell was appointed Minister of War.
Regarding economic legislation, the most important actions of the Liberal government were:
- The Disentailment Law, by Minister Madoz, affecting communal and Church properties. Much of the revenue was invested in the railway network.
The Moderates sought to consolidate the structure of the new liberal state under the principles of centralization, uniformity, and hierarchy. The government undertook tax reform and addressed public administration reform.
The Local Administration Law stipulated that the mayors of cities with more than 2000 inhabitants would be appointed by the Crown. The Moderate governments failed to provide political stability, and after several failed proposals, a new revolution in 1854 allowed the Progressives to return to power, ending ten years of Moderate government.
The Process of Liberal Revolution (1833-1868)
The will of Ferdinand VII established the creation of a Governing Council to advise the regent Maria Cristina. It was chaired by Francisco Cea Bermúdez and composed of absolutists. The only significant reform undertaken by this government was a new provincial division of Spain, characterized by a move towards administrative unity. Spain was divided into *29 provinces*. However, the Carlist uprising began to weaken the Elizabethan throne due to a lack of solid support. This led the regent to appoint a new government capable of gaining the support of the Liberals.
Francisco Martínez de la Rosa, a moderate liberal, was chosen. His proposal was to proclaim a Royal Statute, which was neither a constitution nor a charter, but a set of rules for convening the Cortes. It soon became clear that these reforms were insufficient. The liberal movement split into two major factions: Moderates and Progressives.
Progressive Power
The Progressives’ strength lay in their command of the popular movement, their strong influence on the militia, and in the revolutionary committees. They staged a wave of riots across the country, demanding the meeting of the Cortes, the reorganization of the militia, and freedom of the press.
Maria Cristina appointed a progressive liberal, Mendizábal, to head the government. He initiated the reform of the Royal Statute. The Progressives took on the task of dismantling the Old Regime and establishing a liberal constitutional system with a parliamentary monarchy.
Key Actions of the Progressives
The liberal land reform was carried out in 1837 through three steps:
- Dissolution of the feudal system.
- Disentailment (desvinculación).
- Confiscation (desamortización).
Along with the abolition of the feudal system and the transformation of property ownership, various measures promoting a free market completed the liberalization of the economy.
The Progressive government convened special Cortes to draft a new constitutional text, adapting the Constitution of 1812 to the new times. This document, approved in June 1837, included several basic principles of progressivism (national sovereignty), along with more moderate elements such as a bicameral legislature (Congress and Senate) and greater powers for the Crown. Other laws included the Press Law and the Election Law.