The Liberal Regime in Spain: 1833-1868
**The Liberal Regime (1833-1868)**
In 1830, Isabel was born, and Ferdinand changed the Salic law before he died in 1833, naming his daughter as his inheritor. On the death of the King, Maria Cristina was responsible for the regency until Elizabeth II came of age. Absolutist sectors refused to accept his will and took up arms against the regent, who sought the support of the Liberals.
**Liberals in Power: Two Regencies (1833-1843)**
**The Regency of Maria Cristina (1833-1840)**
The main policy instrument for the transition was a letter of pre-real status (1834) so that everyone would have the same rights.
**The Second Liberal Constitution (1837)**
During 1836, riots and uprisings broke out. A group of non-commissioned officers entered the palace of San Ildefonso by force. They forced the mayor to sign a decree that reconstructed the Constitution of 1812. It became known as the Mutiny of La Granja. The Constitution of 1837 was immediately drafted with some changes from 1812. With this constitution, some revolutionary laws could be enacted. When the Carlist War ended (1839), a law on town halls was enacted (1840). There were new uprisings, and Maria Cristina was forced to resign the regency.
**Carlist War (1833-1840)**
The absolutist Carlists faced Maria Cristina, who was supported by liberals and accepted Elizabeth II as heir. During this war, the Carlist General Ramon Cabrera made the real expedition of 1837. Colonel Zumalacárregui, who had died in June 1835, achieved several victories against the Elizabethan forces. Since 1835, the Elizabethan victory forced Charles Maria Isidro to flee to France. In 1839, the Carlist general and the Elizabethan general reached an agreement in the Convention of Vergara.
**Espartero Regency (1841-1843)**
Maria Cristina waived the rule in October 1840, and the regency was chaired by Espartero, victor of the Carlists, who had the support of the Liberals. Espartero won the rejection of all liberal politicians who had been displaced from power in 1840 and staged an attack on the government. In 1843, a military revolt led by Narvaez brought down the government. Espartero fled into exile in London and did not return until 1849.
**The Moderate Decade (1844-1854)**
General Narvaez ended the regency of Espartero. Elizabeth II took the throne of Spain and was proclaimed in 1843 at the age of majority (13), and the government was led by Narvaez (1844). The party ruled for 10 years. The Constitution of 1837 was abolished to compose a new one in 1845. The bicameral system was legislative and maintained census suffrage. There were some politico-administrative reforms. In 1844, the Civil Guard was created. A year later, a school system was created as the Pidal curriculum (1845). In 1851, a collaboration agreement was signed with the Vatican. In 1854, there was a movement to renovate this degraded political environment.
**The Second Carlist War (1846-1849)**
Charles V (Carlos Maria Isidro) had abdicated in favor of his son Charles VI in 1845, who unsuccessfully tried to marry his cousin Elizabeth II.
**The Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)**
It began with a military coup, known as La Vicalvarada. General O’Donnell enabled them to manage, not to dethrone the queen but to blackmail her, so a new political era began for which a new constitution was written, but it was not put into practice and is known as *non nata*. Isabel II asked General Espartero to rule. The government implemented a second disentailment (1855). The Railway Law was also enacted that year, and one year after, the Bank Act.
**The Return of Conservatism (1856-1868)**
Narvaez got back into office. This period includes the blockade of the Secularization of 1855 and the first Education Law (1857). The period of greatest prosperity coincided with the O’Donnell government. Foreign policy also started. Layers are illustrated in the Democratic Party, and Republicanism appeared, while the first labor organizations were created, and there were disturbances among the peasantry.
**Crisis and Political Destabilization (1866-1868)**
The price of cotton rose, which provoked an industrial and financial crisis, and all that coincided with a time of poor harvests and a food crisis. Social unrest increased, as did military conspiracies and criticism from the press and politics at the university. There were new pronouncements by progressives that were repressed. The court and the queen were discredited more each passing day. As an alternative to the crisis, progressives and democrats formed an alliance against the government of Isabel II.