Spain in the 19th Century: Republic, Reforms, and Social Change

The First Spanish Republic (1873-1874)

The First Republic occurred after the abdication of Amadeo I. The Congress and the Senate united in the National Assembly in 1873 and proclaimed the First Republic. However, it began with problems: some favored centralism, others federalism, and others conservative reform. Additionally, the Republic was opposed by monarchists, and the war in Cuba continued.

There were four presidents:

• Figueras: Took popular measures, prohibited child labor, and abolished slavery in 1873. He convened elections, which the Federalists won, and appointed Pi i Margall as president.
• Pi i Margall: A very progressive constitution project was produced. Radicals caused an uprising called the Cantonal Revolution, supported by Federalists and the labor movement. The government declared a state of accounting, leading to the election of another president.
• Salmerón: Wanted to end the Cantonal Revolution but had qualms about signing death sentences and presented his resignation. He was replaced by Castelar.
• Castelar: Restricted freedoms to try to solve the problems. After Republicans left, a motion of censorship was passed, and he was expelled from government.

In 1874, General Pavía staged a coup, dissolved the courts, and ended the Republic. A new system of government was established with Serrano at the forefront, but it did not resemble a monarchy until Cánovas del Castillo. Cánovas signed a manifesto with Alfonso XII, and in September, a pronouncement in Sagunto imposed the monarchy.

Liberal Agrarian Reform in the 19th Century

In 19th-century Spain, the transition occurred from a manorial system to a liberal capitalist one, where land was regulated. Before, under the feudal system, property was tied and had different types: nobility, church, municipal property. But there were problems: there was no free market, properties were entailed (mayorazgos), and yields decreased.

Disentailment (desamortización) appeared, aimed at creating free markets and private property, improving agriculture, and solving the problems of entailed estates. The stages were:

• Godoy's disentailment in the late 18th century.
• Joseph I removed land from nobles and gave it to the French.
• The Courts of Cádiz made a decree to disentail, but it did not work effectively.
• Mendizábal's disentailment (lands of the clergy), which aimed to create a social class favorable to the liberal regime.
• Madoz's disentailment (affecting mainly municipal property), whose objectives were to finance the state and develop the railway.

Disentailment led to land being sold by auction. Payment was allowed using public debt titles, especially benefiting the bourgeoisie. In conclusion, it aimed to create private property but did not fully serve as an agrarian reform to improve agricultural productivity through techniques.

Economic Transformations of the 19th Century

In the 19th century, the European population doubled (high fertility and high mortality, high infant mortality, slow population growth). In the economy, the privileges of the Mesta were removed, and the railway was introduced.

Industrialization was late due to a poor population, lack of capital, few resources, and limited technological innovations. Catalonia was the center, beginning to develop thanks to the cotton textile industry and the steam engine. Industries like metallurgy appeared, and the first employer associations were created in Spain.

Mineral deposits were mostly owned by private companies. The railway development was also delayed, and most companies were foreign. During the Progressive Biennium, the Railway Law was established, and new communication systems like post and telegraph facilitated the development of the press.

The new economic system involved the emergence of a different social model and new social classes.

Socio-political Movements

These movements arose from exclusion from the Restoration system and the economic and social transformations of the late 19th century, along with the emergence of new ideologies. The movements were:

• Regeneracionismo: A movement to modernize Spain. It was influenced by the Crisis of 1898 because Spain lost its last American colonies. The main author of Regeneracionismo was Joaquín Costa, who tried to create a political party but failed, although his ideas had many followers. The movement was aimed at the middle classes and proposed: more education, more public works, and more autonomy for municipalities.
• Republicanism: They wanted a republic and had several trends: the centralists and the federalists. Republican parties included the Radical Party and the Reformist Party, calling for more democracy, separation of church and state, and social reforms.
• The Labor Movement: Wanted action to improve the living conditions of workers. There were two trends:
  • Marxists (created a party called the PSOE and the UGT union).
  • Anarchists.