Isabel II Reign: Moderates & Progressives in Spain (1843-1868)
The Reign of Queen Isabel II (1843-1868)
After the fall of Espartero and the proclamation of Isabel II as Queen, moderates, with the support of the Crown, came to power. They occupied much of the long Elizabethan reign, during which the consolidation of the liberal state occurred. This period was characterized by:
- A conservative trend, regulated by the Constitution of 1845.
- The predominance of authoritarian governments, advocates of “peace” and a strong monarchy, which limited social reforms and individual rights.
- Support of the Crown and its “clique” for the more conservative (moderate) versus progressive factions.
- The exclusive political participation of an oligarchy of landowners, bourgeoisie, aristocrats, generals, and senior churchmen, aided by restricted suffrage.
- Exclusion from political life of the majority of the population.
- The weight of the army and continued military involvement in politics.
- Exclusively bourgeois parties in parliament, understood not as mass associations but as groups of individuals around a notable, civil, or military figure.
The major parties in the Elizabethan era were the moderates and progressives, representatives of the two great currents of liberalism and advocates of a constitutional monarchical system. In 1849, the Democratic Party appeared, formed by progressive radicals. In 1854, the Liberal Union was formed, a centrist party that brought together moderate and progressive conservatives.
The Moderate Decade (1844-1854)
The 1844 elections gave a majority to the moderates, and General Narvaez was appointed Chairman of the government. He laid the foundations of the new moderate state, characterized by conservative liberalism and absolute respect for order and property, not hesitating to limit freedom if necessary, due to fear of popular unrest. The Crown, much of the army, and the landed gentry (respectable classes) supported this system, known as doctrinaire moderate liberalism (a conservative, anti-democratic, restricted version of liberalism).
The new Cortes produced a new constitution, promulgated on May 23, 1845: the Constitution of 1845. It incorporated the basic principles of conservatism:
- Denial of national sovereignty, replaced by joint or dual sovereignty (shared between the King and Cortes).
- Unclear division of powers, with extensive powers for the executive (the King could appoint ministers and dissolve the chambers) to the detriment of the Cortes.
- Shared legislative power (King and Cortes).
- Bicameral parliamentary system, with a Senate appointed by the Crown.
- Very restrictive census suffrage.
- Confessional state, exclusive to the Catholic faith, and a commitment to maintain the cult and clergy.
It kept most of the articles of the Constitution of 1837, especially in the Bill of Rights, but these were subsequently limited by ordinary legislation.
In 1851, a Concordat was signed with the Holy See (an agreement with the Vatican) that recovered some old church privileges and gave the Church the right to intervene in the control of education and censorship. The state suspended the sale of disentailed assets, returned unsold assets, and pledged to address church expenditures (the cost of worship and clergy).
The governments of the “Moderate Decade” were guilty of authoritarianism (as of 1850, the suspension of the Cortes was usual) and, above all, of favoritism scandals (in financial, real estate, and public works, to their supporters and members of the royal family) that generalized an atmosphere of political corruption.
In 1854, the government sought to amend the Constitution to further strengthen the power of the Crown. This, coupled with the corruption of moderate politicians, provoked a reaction from liberal and broad sectors of the working classes. In June 1854, a faction of the army led by General O’Donnell pronounced in Vicálvaro (The Vicalvarada) against the moderate government. In Manzanares, General Serrano joined the pronouncement and launched a manifesto to the country (Manifesto of Manzanares) with progressive demands: electoral law reform, freedom of the press, decentralization of power, and restoration of the National Militia. The uprising spread to many cities that formed revolutionary committees, both popular and progressive. Faced with these events, Queen Isabel II decided to hand over power to the progressive leader Espartero. This marked the end of the Moderate Decade and the beginning of the so-called Progressive Biennium.