Catalan Political Evolution in the 19th Century
Catalan Identity
In the 19th century, Catalan identity had practically disappeared, but it was still in use in speech. Although insignificant, Catalan society maintained its way of life.
Critics of Centralism
The constitution defined Spain as a single nation and had a centralization model based on political, economic, legal, and military aspects. Progressive Catalans did not want such radical centralization and desired more powers for councils and provincial councils. Popular movements (bullangues) between 1835 and 1843 were the first show of opposition to centralism. Jamància, as well as the insurrections of 1843, led to reforms with a staunchly moderate anti-centralist project. In the decade of 1844-1854, centralism increased and led to the declaration of war on Catalonia.
Federalism
In 1840, federalism began with Abdó Terradas. In 1868, the ideas of the Democratic and Republican Federal Party were expanded politically. Pi i Maragall argued that the federal state union of Spain would have arisen from different regions of the mainland. In 1868, a group of federalists signed the Federal Pact of Tortosa, an agreement to promote a federal Spanish state with competencies in the former Crown of Aragon. Jose Maria Vallès i Ribot, the main benchmark of federalism in Catalonia, proposed a draft Constitution of the Catalan state.
Valenti Almirall and the Catalan Center
Valenti Almirall is a key element in the definition of Catalan politics and is one of its main drivers. Almirall broke with Pi i Maragall in 1881 and decided to launch a Catalan political action. His propaganda led him to write the First Catalanist Congress, intended to gather tendencies from federalism to the Young Republican Catalonia. Almirall believed that Catalanism needed to switch to politics. He formed the party, the Catalan Center, in 1882. The Second Catalanist Congress denounced the character of dynastic parties.
Continuation of Catalan Politics: The Memorial of Grievances
The Catalan Center announced meetings from Barcelona. The Memorial of Grievances was written, the first unitary manifesto of Catalan politics, denouncing centralism and asking for the right to promote regional life, defending protectionism (internal trade) and Catalan civil law. The death of the king that year limited the document’s efficiency, but it had a great impact in Madrid. In 1886, Almirall published “Lo Catalanisme,” where he laid the foundations of progressive Catalanism, explaining his conception of Catalan particularism and establishing an interclass political organization. After Almirall’s proposal proved unworkable, the Catalan Center and Almirall’s influence disappeared.
Foundation of the Regionalist League
Electoral success favored the merger of the National Catalan Center and the Regionalist Union. Catalonia’s role in the political game was not as conservative and liberal, but it held cultural hegemony between Republicans and Catalanists. The league had strong influence among industrialists, merchants, and professionals in Barcelona, but its expansion also reached farm owners. They wanted to fight the corrupt and inefficient centralized system and restore political reformism to give autonomy to Catalonia.
Impact of 1898
The loss of the last colonies brought discredit to dynastic parties and revealed their inefficiency. It favored the political aspirations of Catalan leaders, social mobilization, etc. New generations of intellectuals and activists defended a new political program and were critical of the dynastic politics of the parties.