19th Century Spanish Economic and Agrarian Transformation

1. The Agrarian Sector

During the nineteenth century, agriculture was the primary industry in Spain, employing two-thirds of the workforce and providing more than half of the national income and a decisive share of exports. The moderate growth of Spanish agriculture during this period was hindered by natural, geographical, and socio-political factors, which were major causes of the relative backwardness of the Spanish economy.

The evolution of Spanish agriculture in the nineteenth century was characterized by an expansion of arable land and a moderate increase in overall production. However, this did not substantially alter the traditional structure of Spanish agriculture, which remained typically Mediterranean, based on the cultivation of vines, wheat, and olives.

Obstacles to Modernization

• The aridity and poverty of the interior soil.
• High altitude and the compact form of the plateau, which hindered transportation.
• Large landholdings in the southern half of the peninsula.
• Small-scale farming in the northwest.
• Absenteeism of large landowners and extreme poverty among the peasantry.

The cultivation system, largely based on fallow land, remained reliant on human labor, which was critical to production.

Regional Innovations

The only significant innovations occurred on the Valencian coast, where specialty crops and market gardens developed from the mid-century onward. The most spectacular growth was seen in orange production. Meanwhile, the Canary Islands specialized in bananas, tomatoes, and tobacco.

Livestock Evolution

Livestock production was marked by an increased demand for meat in urban centers. This led to a decline in nomadic sheep herding in favor of pigs and horses used for plowing. Furthermore, the desamortización (disentailment) favored the expansion of crops at the expense of pastures.

2. The Disentailment: Mendizábal's Reform

In February 1836, the assets of male regular religious orders were declared subject to the first national disentailment law and offered for sale to address the country's poor economic situation. In exchange for these assets, the State agreed to maintain religious worship and pay the clergy a lifetime pension.

Objectives of the Reform

• Raise funds for general recruitment.
• Weaken the clergy and the Carlists.
• Pay off a portion of the public debt.

In 1837, Mendizábal disentailed secular Church property and later confiscated ecclesiastical tithes. Rights of primogeniture and seigneurial jurisdictions were also abolished. Auctions were paid for with devalued debt titles at face value. Lands were divided into lots, and payments could be made in installments. The primary beneficiaries were the bourgeoisie (professionals), landowners, and certain town owners.