Spanish Restoration: Cánovas’s System and Cuban Conflict
Cánovas del Castillo’s Liberalism and Objectives
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo aimed to articulate a new model of liberalism, addressing endemic issues of the past: the partisan and exclusionary nature of moderate military interventionism in politics and the proliferation of civil strife. His two primary objectives were:
- To develop a constitution that would establish a bipartisan political system.
- To pacify the country by ending the war in Cuba and the Carlist conflict.
Foundations of the New Political System
The first policy measure was the convening of elections for a Constituent Assembly, as the Constitution of 1869 had been terminated after the proclamation of the Republic. The first election of the new regime was conducted by universal suffrage, later transitioning to a census-based franchise.
Bipartisanship and Alternation in Power
Cánovas del Castillo introduced a system of government based on bipartisanship and the alternation in power of two dynastic parties: the Conservative and Liberal. This was a pacific pact between parties that aimed to ensure institutional stability through the participation in power of these two political families. Crucially, the army was subordinate to civil power.
Cuba: Unfulfilled Reforms and Growing Discontent
After the Peace of Zanjón, a series of reforms were expected for Cuba, promising:
- Equal rights of political representation.
- Participation in the island’s government.
- Freedom of trade.
- The abolition of slavery.
Failed Reforms and the Autonomist Movement
Following the bipartisan model of the Peninsula, two main political forces emerged in Cuba: the Autonomist Party, composed mostly of Cubans, and the Constitutional Union, which had a strong militancy of peninsulars installed on the island. The Autonomist Party called for autonomy for the island, without having actually achieved independence, and broad representation in the Spanish Parliament.
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta was inclined to make improvements on the island, but only managed to achieve the formal abolition of slavery in 1888. He proposed the adoption of a draft for Cuba’s colonial status, but was unsuccessful due to strong pressure from Spanish economic interests.
Rise of the Cuban Independence Movement
The inefficiency of the administration in reforming the colony stimulated the desire for emancipation, and the independence movement was gaining ground against autonomy. José Martí founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party, whose aim was to achieve independence. It immediately gained support from abroad, including that of revolutionary leaders.
US Economic Pressure and Tariff Disputes
The Spanish government raised tariffs on products imported to the island that were not from the Peninsula. Cuba’s main economic client, the United States, would acquire almost all of the two major Cuban products (sugar and tobacco), while the U.S. could only export products to Cuba with high import tariffs. U.S. President William McKinley expressed his protest against this situation and threatened to close the U.S. market to Cuban sugar and tobacco if the Spanish government did not amend its tariff policy on the island. The fear of a new uprising for independence was compounded by the suspicion that it could count on U.S. support.
The Little War: An Early Insurrection
In 1879, there was a new attempt at insurrection against the Spanish presence on the island, which resulted in the Little War. The uprising was defeated the following year due to a lack of support, insufficient weapons, and the superiority of the Spanish army. The Scream.