Andalusian Peasant Agitations & 19th Century Spanish Society
Peasant Agitations in Andalusia
Precarious living conditions of peasants also led to agitations and struggles over land ownership. In 1840, in Casabermeja (Malaga), peasants violently occupied several farms. The same happened in Tarifa and El Puerto de Santa Maria (Cadiz), where they occupied the meadows of the Duke of Medinaceli. But the most important rebellion occurred in 1857 in Seville, in the towns of Utrera, Arahal, Moron de la Frontera, and Pruna, and in the Cadiz town of Alcala del Valle. Later, in 1861, another revolt took place in Granada, specifically in the town of Loja.
Demographic and Social Change: Slow Population Growth
The Spanish population increased from 11.5 million to 18.6 million during the nineteenth century. Although the population grew, growth was lower than in other European countries. The birth rate remained high, and mortality declined slightly, which did not permit the growth rates achieved elsewhere in Europe, where mortality had declined significantly due to improved sanitary conditions. More advanced regions grew above the national average. The population of Catalonia, Basque Country, and Asturias increased due to industrial development; Levante, Navarra, and La Rioja, due to the development of commercial agriculture; and Madrid as the capital. These regions became centers of immigration since the sixties of the twentieth century when the railroad facilitated the emigration of landless campesinos. The rural exodus had two consequences: on the one hand, as most rich regions are on the coast, the demographic weight of the periphery increased over the hinterland, and the cities grew much, especially Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Bilbao, and Zaragoza. However, the majority of the population lived in the field. Many Andalusians migrated to America. The field situation was affected by drought and pests, and the crisis of recent Andalusian industries forced many to seek better living conditions outside the region.
A Class Society
The stratified society of the old regime disappeared with the advent of liberalism. Thereafter, the economic situation determined an individual’s position in the social hierarchy. The ruling class of society in the nineteenth century encompassed the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. The aristocracy consisted of the nobles who had lost their rights but retained a notable aristocratic social influence. The bourgeoisie was composed of the owners of factories and financial companies. Relations between the two groups narrowed over the century through marriages and business. The middle class comprised civil servants, small businessmen, professionals, businessmen, etc. This class was small but tended to rise in general, living in cities. The popular classes had little money and were illiterate. There were three groups: laborers, campesinos (most of the population), and those who lived in poor conditions. This fact led them to start major riots throughout the nineteenth century. Workers were in industrial regions and in cities, where poor neighborhoods were crowded into basic infrastructure. To defend their rights and improve their conditions, they organized into unions. The main unions were the UGT (socialist) and CNT (anarchist). Servants served the affluent, and beggars and marginalized people existed.