Reign of Isabella II: Regency and Rise of Spanish Liberalism
Elizabeth II (1833-1843): The Regency
Definition
Ferdinand VII, expecting no further male descendants, issued the Pragmatic Sanction, setting aside the Salic Law of 1713 which barred women from reigning. Ferdinand VII died in 1833 when his daughter, Isabella, was only two years old. Due to her minority, a regency was established, first under his mother, Maria Cristina (1833-1840), and later under General Espartero (1840-1843).
Development
The Regency of Maria Cristina was marked by the need to win the Carlist Wars, maintain power, and secure the throne for her daughter. To achieve this, she considered reforms and made concessions to the liberals, leading to the definitive implementation of liberalism in Spain.
1st Concession: Statute of 1834
Maria Cristina, not a liberal herself, needed their support. This collaboration resulted in the Royal Charter of 1834. It was not a constitution but a granted charter from the Crown. Parliament was purely advisory, with limited powers. The Cortes were bicameral:
- The Estate of Peers: Grandees of Spain and members appointed by the Crown for life, with high income requirements.
- The Estate of Attorneys: Elective, with members requiring a certain annual income. The election system was indirect and census-based (only 0.15% of the population voted).
Objectives: To rally support for Isabella II from key economic sectors. In return, the Crown promised gradual reforms.
Limitations: The moderate, Crown-controlled reform process faced challenges:
- The ongoing Carlist War.
- Failure to attract moderates.
- Rejection by liberals due to limited changes.
The Crown’s refusal to approve requests from the Estate of Attorneys led to riots and uprisings, forcing the Queen to appoint the liberal Mendizabal in 1835.
B. 2nd Concession: Mendizabal and Secularization
Mendizabal proposed the confiscation of Church lands to fund the war and improve finances, aiming to create a smallholder sector and broaden support for Isabella. Objectives: Resources for the war and changing land ownership. Results: Revenue increased, and the war was won in 1839. However, the land largely went to noblemen, not smallholders. This period saw a rise in moderate liberalism.
3rd Concession: Constitution of 1837
Despite winning the war, Maria Cristina’s disagreement with Mendizabal and popular discontent led to her signing the 1812 Constitution after a mutiny. However, this was short-lived, as most liberals were moderates. A new Constitution was created in 1837:
- It reinforced the Crown’s power, with shared sovereignty between the monarch and the Cortes.
- The Crown had absolute veto power and the right to dissolve Parliament.
- A bicameral system was introduced: Senate (appointed for life) and Congress of Deputies (elected).
- Suffrage was census-based (2% of the population voted in 1837).
- It upheld some previous laws, including municipal laws, freedom of commerce and industry, abolition of tithes, and confiscation.
3. Consequences
Liberalism was finally established in Spain, although absolutists and Carlists continued to rebel occasionally. Liberalism itself became divided:
- Moderates: Shared sovereignty, strong crown power, censitary suffrage, limited association rights, confessional state.
- Progressives: National sovereignty, parliamentary power, broader censitary suffrage, more association rights, less confessional state.
- Radicals: National sovereignty, parliamentary power, universal suffrage, full association rights, secularism.
The Council Law aimed for more moderate, government-controlled municipalities. In 1840, opposition to this law and Maria Cristina’s personal prestige led to her deposition and the Regency of Espartero.
d. Espartero Regency (1840-1843)
Espartero, a progressive and popular figure, ended the Carlist War. During his regency:
- i. Confiscation of assets of the secular clergy.
His authoritarian rule led to an uprising in 1843, uniting radical liberals and moderates. Espartero was forced into exile, and Isabella II was declared of age, swearing her oath in November 1843.