Spanish Land Confiscations: Impact on Society and Economy
Secularization and Land Confiscations in Spain
Secularization was a fundamental stage in the process of bourgeois revolution. It meant a change in the system of land ownership, and in Spain, this process occurred intermittently with progressive governments. It consisted of the enactment of laws by the state to disentail ecclesiastical and municipal property. The process had several stages:
- First stage: Lands.
- Second stage: Disentailment. In the first phase, by a decree law, these lands passed to belong to the State.
- Third Phase: This land came up for sale by public auction. The benefit under this process would apply the rule to meet their needs.
Source of Disentailment
The starting point was the enlightened reformers of the 18th century. They were already concerned about this issue and spoke of the need to get the most out of the land because they said it was the source of wealth and strength of the state. They had even hinted that they had to change the manorial system of land property. In the Old Regime, a large part of the land was under the ‘dead hand’ (lands that were linked to the monasteries and municipalities, not subject to tribute, did not pay taxes, and could not be sold; many were not even worked). These enlightened thinkers thought it was necessary for reform, that these lands should become private property.
In Spain, in the 19th century, there were several confiscations: with Godoy in the reign of Charles IV, a confiscation of property of the Jesuits was carried out; another was with the Cortes of Cadiz; and another took place in the liberal triennium. But the most important were those of Mendizabal, Minister under Maria Cristina, and Pascual Madoz, with Elizabeth II in the progressive biennium.
Mendizabal’s Disentailment
Don Juan Alvarez Mendizabal, born in Cadiz in 1790, belonged to a family related to trade and emigrated to England. When he returned and came to power, he came with a reputation for being progressive and very good at political management. When he was appointed Minister, he promised to end the economic crisis and the Carlist War. He ruled without anyone and is known to conduct a confiscation through 3 orders:
- Take all the religious orders of Spain, except those engaged in beneficence.
- All assets of those orders were becoming state property.
- All the goods leave the auction and become private.
With this property, he would do away with the economic crisis and begin a process of wealth creation, and it would create a large family of owners.
Pascual Madoz’s Disentailment
Pascual Madoz came to complete the secularization of Mendizabal. It was on the remains of ecclesiastical property and, above all, municipal assets. The procedure was similar, but the difference was that the money earned was devoted in part to finance the industrialization of the country and also to finance the expansion of the railway.
Implications
Economics
Particularly in the de Mendizabal, the goal was not achieved because the lands were sold quickly and at a low price.
Social
Land farmers did not buy (it was not a land reform), and from that moment, the figure of the proletariat peasant emerged.
Politics
The bourgeoisie who bought the lands became a firmer support for the Government.
Cultural
There was a great loss of many cultural goods (works of art, buildings, etc.).
Morals
The church was not in accordance with the seizure, and Rome spoke to excommunicate those who had purchased the land. And most people disagreed because they were Catholics.
Historical Trial
There have been several reviews about this phenomenon:
- Flórez Estrada: He criticized the way they did it and argued that if they had implemented a system of delivery of lots of land to peasants, they would have achieved an important social objective.
- Tomas y Valiente: He is highly critical of both the procedure followed and the social consequences that resulted.
- Fontana: He thinks that the confiscation of the 19th century aimed to improve the economic situation of the various land reform governments.
Therefore, this social content with which they had dreamed of the illustrated 18th century (Jovellanos, Olavide, etc.) remained just that, a dream. Therefore, when the 20th century, in the 2nd Republic, again raises the agrarian reform, we will try to expropriate the estates and the settlement of farmers in ownership.