Spain’s 19th Century: Politics, Agriculture, and Industry
Political and Ideological Shifts in 19th-Century Spain
After the death of Fernando VII, the Carlist Wars continued. Two main liberal parties emerged: the Moderates and the Progressives. The Moderates favored conservative constitutionalism, avoiding radical changes while maintaining the power of the Crown. They had the support of the wealthy and favored a limited suffrage, where most people could not vote due to lack of assets. The Progressives, on the other hand, wanted radical changes, a reduction of royal power, and broader voting rights. Both parties alternated in power. At the end of the reign of Elizabeth II, a centrist Liberal Union party ruled.
To the right of the liberal groups were the Absolutists, who defended the rights of Carlos María Isidro to the crown, leading to the Carlist Wars and civil unrest throughout the 19th century.
To the left of the Progressives and Moderates was the Democratic Party, which advocated for universal suffrage and broader freedoms than the liberals. In the 1840s, groups began to appear that did not support the monarchy, advocating for a Republic.
Agricultural Developments in 19th-Century Spain
Population growth led to an increase in arable land, but farming techniques did not evolve significantly. Although fertilizers were introduced, traditional tools remained prevalent. Vineyards, olive groves, and some irrigation systems were expanded and improved. The most widespread product was wheat.
To reform agriculture and move the country toward progressive modernization, liberal governments passed laws aimed at changing the structure of agriculture. Tithes and feudal rights of the old regime were abolished. The most significant laws were those related to the confiscation of church lands, which facilitated the modernization of agriculture. However, they did not benefit the farmers, who could not afford to buy these lands, forcing many to emigrate.
The Confiscation of Mendizábal
To curb the revolutionary movement, Queen Elizabeth II turned to the Progressive Liberals to form a government, and Juan Álvarez Mendizábal assumed the presidency. The new head of government attempted to improve the difficult economic situation and enacted some more liberal policies, but he soon lost the support of the regent and had to resign. He was later reappointed as a minister and promulgated policies and economic measures of a clearly progressive nature. He reorganized the army to end the Carlist War, suppressed the requirement of proof of nobility to enter certain entities, and put into practice the Confiscation of Goods from religious communities, which would solve part of the financial problems that motivated the Carlist Wars. (Juan Álvarez Mendizábal was a politician and financier born in Cádiz in 1790. He was appointed Finance Minister and then Head of Government, in addition to enacting various reforms. He became Minister of Finance in 1836, 1837, and 1843. He died in Madrid in 1853.)
The Stalled Industrial Revolution in Spain
During the first third of the 19th century, several European countries experienced economic and political changes that facilitated the launch of industry. This did not happen in Spain, which continued with an outdated economic structure. This failure of industrialization was due to various causes. Farming did not generate enough income for farmers to buy industrial products, creating a market that was unable to push the economy towards industrialization. Besides, inland transport was inadequate, and there was no accumulation of capital needed for large industries.
The 1845 Constitution
The so-called Moderate Decade consolidated the aspirations of much of the landed gentry, who supported the strong centralized power of the Moderates to ensure they could prosper and secure their incomes and benefits. The first step was to reform the constitution and create a new one in 1845, whose measures were:
- Restricted suffrage: Only 1% of the population could vote, and more power was given to the Crown.
- Centralist provisions were introduced, reorganizing provincial and city councils, with the King appointing mayors, etc.
- Unification of tax contributions.
- Creation of an armed Civil Guard.
- An agreement with the Church, the Concordat of 1851, was signed, declaring Catholicism the only official religion of Spain. The state paid the clergy’s needs, and goods were returned.