19th Century Liberalism: Political Parties, Power Struggles, and Progressive Reforms in Spain
19th Century Liberalism in Spain
Political Parties and Power Dynamics
During the 19th century, Spanish political parties clustered around influential figures, forming complex networks of personal and financial interests. These parties competed for power and influence, shaping the political landscape of the era.
Moderates
This diverse group, composed of landowners, merchants, and intellectuals, prioritized order and stability. They defended property rights and restricted suffrage based on wealth. Moderates viewed freedom as an individual good but were wary of mass political participation. Key figures included Narváez and Bravo Murillo. They advocated for shared sovereignty between the Crown and the courts, granting the Crown significant political power. They also favored limiting individual rights and maintaining a confessional state with strong Catholic Church influence.
Progressives
Championing freedom and reform, the Progressives drew support from the middle class, officials, and urban working classes. They advocated for national sovereignty, with the courts holding primary political power. Rejecting the Crown’s intervention in politics, they emphasized individual and collective rights. Key leaders included Espartero and Mendizábal. Progressives supported strengthening local authorities, broad individual rights, and electoral reform. They also advocated for land reform to address property inequality and limit the Church’s influence.
Liberal Union (1854)
This centrist party emerged as an alternative to the traditional Moderate and Progressive factions. Formed by O’Donnell and Serrano, it aimed to unite government sectors dissatisfied with Moderate policies.
Democrats and Republicans
Founded in 1849, the Democratic Party advocated for popular sovereignty and universal male suffrage. They supported a single elected chamber, expanded civil liberties, and collective bargaining rights. They also championed freedom of the press, a national militia, and elected local councils. While acknowledging the Catholic Church’s social influence, they called for religious freedom. The growing prestige of Isabel II’s monarchy made republicanism a less popular option, though it advocated for the election of all public officials and had a more social and popular base.
The Progressives in Power
The Liberals, with strong popular support and influence over the National Militia and Revolutionary Boards (bourgeois-led bodies supported by the National Militia, aiming to dismantle feudal structures and establish a democratic regime), gained prominence. In 1835, numerous urban riots erupted:
- Andalusia: Demonstrations of willingness to take up arms.
- Barcelona: Burning of convents, factories, and other buildings.
- Madrid: Rioters occupied key points in the city and petitioned the governor.
The governor responded by forming a liberal government with a progressive reform agenda. However, the confiscation of church property to combat Carlism led to pressure from the nobility and clergy, resulting in Mendizábal’s dismissal. In 1836, progressive sectors and military pronouncements demanded a constitutional regime. The uprising of the garrison at the governor’s residence led to the return of the Progressives and the reinstatement of the Cádiz Constitution.
Progressive Reforms (1835-1837)
Under Mendizábal’s leadership, the Progressives dismantled old institutions and implemented a liberal, constitutional parliamentary monarchy. Their actions significantly impacted property rights and land reform:
- Dissolution of the nobility’s judicial powers, though they retained land ownership if farmers couldn’t prove ownership, effectively making the former lords the new agricultural owners.
- Disentailment (beginning in the Cádiz Courts): In 1837, entailed lands were definitively freed, allowing owners to sell them.
- Civil War: To fund the war effort, church and municipal lands were sold. In 1836, religious orders were dissolved, and their assets seized by the state. This provided resources to combat Carlism and created a social base of buyers who supported the Liberal Party.
- Economic Liberalization: With the triumph of liberalism, measures were taken to abolish privileges, such as those of the Mesta, and liberalize agricultural leases. These actions marked the implementation of economic liberalism in Spain.