Reign of Isabella II: Political and Social Transformation in Spain

The Reign of Isabella II: The Moderate Decade (1844–1854)

Proclaimed queen at 13 years of age, Isabella II assumed the throne of Spain in 1843. She ordered the formation of a moderate government led by Narváez. The Constitution of 1837 was revoked and replaced by the Constitution of 1845, which granted new powers to the Crown and the government while limiting the authority of Parliament. The legislative chamber was maintained, and census suffrage remained in effect.

Key Political and Administrative Reforms

• Legal Reforms: Implementation of new Tax, Civil, and Penal codes.
• Civil Guard (1844): A military police force established to maintain order in rural areas.
• Educational Reform: The Pidal Plan (1845) established secondary education institutes.
• Concordat of 1851: An agreement with the Vatican allowing the Church to recover privileges and intervene in education.

The Progressive Biennium (1854–1856)

In 1854, popular uprisings supported a liberal progressive agenda. This period began with a military statement known as the Vicalvarada, instigated by O'Donnell, leader of the Liberal Union. The movement did not intend to dethrone Isabella II but sought reform, leading to the development of a new, unpromulgated charter.

Isabella II asked Espartero to lead the government, where he returned to the radical measures that characterized his regency:

• Madoz Seizure (1855): A second major confiscation of property.
• Railway Law (1855): Planned the national railway network.
• Banking Law (1856): Facilitated foreign investment.

The Return of Moderantism (1856–1868)

Narváez returned to head the government, supported by three key social sectors: landowners, the military, and the conservative Church. Governments led by Generals O'Donnell and Narváez alternated during this time. This period was marked by the paralysis of the seizure, the restoration of Church privileges, and harsh repression against peasant uprisings.

During this era, the Democratic Party and republicanism emerged among the educated classes, while the first trade unions were created alongside growing unrest among peasant laborers.

Crisis and Political Destabilization (1866–1868)

The growth cycle of the railway reached its end, coinciding with a spike in cotton prices that triggered industrial and financial crises. These issues were compounded by a succession of bad harvests and subsistence crises. As social unrest grew and progressive pronouncements were met with severe repression, progressives and Democrats formed an alliance against the government of Isabella II.