19th Century Societal Shifts: Class Structure and Labor Movements

Society: New Ideas and Profound Social Changes

T8:

Liberal Economic and Political Signaled Profound Social Changes

The liberal economic and political sign gave way to profound social changes. The estates system ended with the cancellation of tax privileges and jurisdictional legal equality rights. Citizenship was granted to all, and social classes were established. Dramatic economic differences arose between the bourgeoisie and the workers.

New Leadership Groups

We can distinguish between the upper classes:

• Nobility converted: Bourgeoisie owners or landlords (business, industrial, agricultural, financier, and senior military and administration).
• Middle Class: Professionals, middle-status owners, and employees.

As for the popular classes, they were urban groups composed of:

• Craftsmen and service employees.
• The proletariat (the new group of industrial employees).
• Peasants (small owners, tenants, and laborers).

Both the worker and peasant groups possessed very precarious working and living conditions. Worker and peasant women were an important labor force.

Intensified Social Struggles

Social struggles intensified throughout the 19th century due to social injustices and poverty. Luddism was the first expression of rebellion, later followed by Mutual Aid societies, peasant uprisings, and the first strikes. These first movements were influenced ideologically by utopianism and republicanism.

Expansion of Workers' Organizations

Subsequently, small revolutions occurred, leading to freedom of expression and association, and an expansion of workers' organizations. The International Association of Workers (IWA) arrived in Spain in 1868, founding the Spanish Regional Federation in 1870. Confrontations arose between anarchists and Marxists.

Internationalism and Political Parties

Internationalism peaked during the First Republic in 1874, after which it suffered a downturn, and anarchists emerged. Socialists founded the PSOE (1879), led by Pablo Iglesias. This party gained influence in Madrid, Asturias, and the Basque Country. It adopted a strategy of protest through politics and parliamentary struggle, founding the UGT in 1888.

Anarchist Movements

Socialist anarchists were deeply rooted in Catalonia and Andalusia. They were divided between supporters of direct action (terrorism) and action through trade unions (anarcho-syndicalism). They created the CNT in 1910.