The Contemporary Age: 19th Century Transformations

The Contemporary Age: A Historical Period

It started in 1789 with the French Revolution. It still continues nowadays.

We will divide the Contemporary Age in two parts to understand better the changes that happened during this stage of history: the 19th century and the 20th and 21st centuries.

The World in the 19th Century

The main events that happened in the 19th century in the world were:

• The French Revolution, which led to a new form of government called liberalism.
• The Industrial Revolution, which is the name given to the technical and economic changes that happened during this century.
• The changes in society that the two previous events caused: the creation of two new social classes: middle class and workers.

Spain in the 19th Century

The main events that happened in the 19th century in Spain were:

• The War of Independence against France. In 1808, Napoleon forced the Spanish king to abdicate and he made his brother Joseph king of Spain. However, the Spanish people refused to accept him. So, in November 1808, Napoleon led an army into Spain, and in December, he captured Madrid. Yet, the Spaniards fought a guerrilla war against the French. This time, the British were their allies.

In 1812, the Cortes, the Spanish parliament, published a constitution. It stated that the king was to be a constitutional monarch. Then, in 1813, the French were driven out of Spain.

Main Battles During the War of Independence

• The reigns of Ferdinand VII and Isabella II. Ferdinand became king in December 1813, but in 1814, he declared the 1812 constitution null and void and made it clear he intended to rule as an absolute monarch.

However, in 1820, there was an uprising in Spain, and a general, Rafael de Riego, forced Ferdinand to accept the constitution. Yet, in 1823, the French king sent an army to restore Ferdinand to absolute power.

Meanwhile, Spain's colonies in Central and South America rebelled, and between 1818 and 1824, they gained their independence. Furthermore, in 1819, Spain was forced to cede Florida to the USA.

Furthermore, in 1808, the French abolished the Spanish Inquisition. Ferdinand restored it in 1814, but it was finally abolished in 1820.

Ferdinand died in 1833, and Spain was plunged into a civil war between liberals and conservatives. Ferdinand wanted his daughter Isabella to succeed him, but Spanish conservatives wanted his brother Carlos to become king. The war went on till 1839 when the Carlists (conservatives) were finally defeated.

In 1835, to raise money, the liberals sold land belonging to the Church. In 1851, the Pope accepted the situation. In return, the state became responsible for paying the clergy.

However, Queen Isabella alienated the liberals, and in 1868, a revolution took place. Isabella was forced to abdicate. In 1870, she was replaced by Amadeo I, but he too abdicated in February 1873.

The First Republic (1873). The reign of Alfonso XII. A new constitution was published in 1876. In 1892, all men were given the vote.

The End of the 19th Century in Spain