19th Century Land Confiscation in Spain: A Historical Analysis
The 19th Century Land Confiscation in Spain
Introduction
The 19th-century land confiscation in Spain, spanning from 1766 to 1924, marked a significant historical process. The state sold off non-circulating properties to private citizens, integrating these assets into the free market. This transformation primarily impacted properties held by civil and ecclesiastical institutions, including archives, libraries, and monasteries. The sales aimed to bolster the liberal economic system, expand private property, and fuel capitalism.
Objectives of the Confiscations
The confiscations served two main objectives. First, they aimed to secure support from the benefited bourgeoisie and diminish the power of illiberal social strata. Second, the proceeds from auctions and sales were intended to repay public debt and alleviate the treasury’s needs, including war spending and public works.
Historical Context
The late 18th century witnessed the rise of liberalism in France, the United States, and Britain. However, its arrival in Spain was delayed due to resistance from absolute monarchs. The Napoleonic invasion in the early 19th century further destabilized absolutism, leading to the elimination of related properties and confiscations by liberal governments.
Early Confiscations
While 1798 falls within the 18th century, it’s crucial to mention the first considerable confiscation inspired by Jovellanos during Charles IV’s reign. This confiscation targeted Church properties to alleviate state finances. However, it minimally impacted the foundations of absolutism, as only the wealthy could afford to purchase the confiscated lands.
With the rise of liberalism in Spain during the Cortes of Cádiz, the Constitution of Bayonne (1808) decreed the confiscation of properties belonging to traitors, the Inquisition, military orders, and suppressed convents on September 13, 1813. This marked an intention towards confiscation, which never fully materialized.
Mendizabal’s Confiscations (1836)
During Maria Cristina’s regency, Mendizabal’s progressive liberalism led to another major confiscation in 1836. Focusing primarily on regular church properties, this measure aimed to secure foreign loans and finance the liberal army. This reform fueled the Carlist Wars, as the Church, a staunch defender of the ancien régime, felt targeted. Mendizabal’s dismissal a year later, due to concerns over his radical liberalism, temporarily halted the confiscations.
Espartero and Urban Renewal
Espartero, succeeding Maria Cristina, continued the sales, focusing on urban land. This spurred urban renewal, with developers transforming cities and fostering growth.
Madoz’s Secularization (1855)
During Isabel II’s reign, the short-lived Progressive biennium (1854-1856) under Espartero saw the enactment of new confiscation laws in 1855, known as Madoz’s secularization. This was the largest confiscation of the era, lasting until the end of the century. It affected municipal properties, clergy holdings, public education, charities, and even crown properties. This law introduced new policies, including using sales proceeds for public works, particularly railways, and initially accepting only cash payments.
Consequences of the Confiscations
- The Liberal Party earned the total enmity of the Church.
- The rural population, reliant on agriculture, was significantly affected by the privatization of land. New owners set land rental prices and introduced new farming practices, leading to evictions and hardship for many rural families.
- This damage, coupled with other liberal policies, led to a clerical-absolutist-peasant alliance that joined the Carlist cause against bourgeois liberalism, deepening social divisions.