Social Transformation in 19th Century Spain

Dissolution of Privileged Classes

The privileged classes ceased to exist with the liberal state in the 19th century. Legal equality ended privileges granted by birth and titles. All social groups paid taxes, were tried by the same laws and courts, and enjoyed the same political rights (women did not have political rights until the 20th century). Censitary liberalism limited the right to suffrage and political participation. Social differences were defined by wealth, and citizens were defined by their membership in a social class (determined by economic level). Suppression laws that favored the nobility were annulled, including rights such as not paying taxes and serving as judges in manorial lawsuits. The clergy was affected by the process of confiscation and separation, as the Church was deprived of many properties, and secularization laws led to the closure of many convents. However, the Catholic Church maintained its power and social influence. Its lifestyle was comparable to that of the upper classes.

New Social Organization

Liberal Spain in the 19th century was constituted by two large social groups: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie comprised the wealthy agricultural and industrial owners, while the proletariat only had the wages received from their work. The bourgeois class was divided into different groups: at the top was the high bourgeoisie (businessmen, bankers, non-noble), followed by the middle and small bourgeoisie (civil servants, lawyers). The working class consisted of artisans and the new proletariat, which emerged from the inequalities of wealth and industrialization. The harsh living and working conditions of the working class resulted in new social movements (trade unions and working class) that demanded better salaries and working conditions, denouncing capitalism as an unfair system.

Persistence of the Nobility

The Spanish high nobility increased their economic power by conserving acquired land and properties. The gentry were affected by tax laws and low land rents. The nobility accepted liberalism as a necessary evil and the distribution of influences with the bourgeoisie as a necessity. By the late 19th century, the nobility began to lose its economic power and political influence.

Bourgeois Groups

The process of liberal revolution aimed to create a middle class involved in business and banking. From the time of Mendizábal, the bourgeoisie enlarged their fortunes by buying debt, making large investments in the stock market (railways), and investing in land. This bourgeoisie came from the north and Andalusia, with Madrid as their center of operations.

Middle Classes

The middle classes were located between the powerful and the wage earners. They represented 5% of the population and included landowners, merchants, and small manufacturers. Their development was linked to urban growth and the expansion of the administration. They comprised professions related to law (lawyers, notaries), construction (architects), and health (doctors). These classes shared a lifestyle with the powerful, where welfare was a sign of class.

New Ruling Elite

The ruling elite was structured as a symbiosis between the old aristocracy and the new bourgeois groups. The bourgeoisie brought innovation, and the nobility served as an example of social prestige and public recognition. This class power imposed economic and cultural reforms, introduced a regime of liberal political parties with a censitary character (moderates, progressives), and filled public offices (senators, councilmen) with lawyers, businessmen, and teachers.