Spain's Political Landscape: 1845-1868
The Moderate Decade (1845-1854)
Supported by the bourgeoisie, the reactionary moderates returned to power. They enacted new laws, limiting progressive influence and restoring the relationship with the Church by signing the Concordat of 1851. The Holy See was weakened by the confiscation of Mendizabal. With a centralized policy, they unified the rights of the tax system and education and created the Civil Guard. The Constitution of 1845 was quickly adopted to uphold the principles of liberalism based on a census. It established shared sovereignty between the courts and the king, a bicameral system where the Senate was composed of members appointed by the king for life, and the House of Representatives was composed of members elected by a vote restricted to the upper classes. The militia was suppressed, municipal autonomy was reduced, and some powers were removed from municipalities. At the end of this period, corruption scandals within the party caused the moderates to lose power.
The European situation was marked by popular revolts in 1848 for universal suffrage, the publication of the Communist Manifesto, and the triumph of democratic ideals.
The Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)
The Vicalvarada, a ruling by Serrano and O'Donnell, was based on moderate forces. Alongside Antonio Cánovas, they wrote the Manzanares Manifesto, in which he invited the people to stand up. Following a social revolt, Isabel II gave the government to the progressive Espartero and began drafting a new constitution.
The government's measures included the Confiscation of General Madoz against municipalities, the expulsion of the Jesuits, the prohibition of processions, and the approval of the Law of Railways. The first steps of the labor movement were taken with the creation of the Democratic Party. The militia was re-established, and municipal autonomy was increased.
The Liberal Union (1856-1868)
The biennium ended when O'Donnell was put at the head of government, supported by a new group bringing together the most advanced moderates and less radical progressives, displacing Espartero. They defended railway expansion, which fostered the development of capitalism and industry, increased colonization in Mexico, Morocco, and Cochin China, and influenced municipal reorganizations.
In 1861, the moderate military leader Narváez seized power, expelling the Liberal Union. He began a crackdown against progressives, who responded with constant conspiracies. By 1866, society wanted more say in political life. There was a crisis of livelihood, and the discredit of Isabel II's government was evident. The Liberal Union, the Progressive Party, and the Democratic Party signed the Pact of Ostend, agreeing to a change of regime.
The Glorious Revolution, which matured in Córdoba with more military organization and Revolutionary Boards, caused the exile of Isabel II.