Spanish Constitution of 1812: Key Reforms

The Legislative Work of the Cortes of Cádiz and the 1812 Constitution

The Courts of Cádiz approved significant reforms, including freedom of the press, abolishing censorship for political writings (though not religious ones). They abolished feudal courts, a move that hindered the modernization of local and provincial administration. This measure strengthened the state, as half of the population and two-thirds of Spanish cities still maintained some dependencies on the clergy and nobility. Primogeniture was also abolished. Guilds, institutions that hampered economic growth, were eliminated.

In the agricultural sector, a bourgeois agrarian reform was announced, putting the lands of the municipalities up for sale at public auction. The Mesta (a powerful association of sheep owners) was suppressed. The Inquisition was abolished. To organize the state, a centralized system was created.

The Constitution of 1812 ("La Pepa")

On March 19, 1812 (St. Joseph's Day), the first constitution in the history of Spain, known as "La Pepa," was approved. It was a very long text, as the Cádiz lawmakers meticulously regulated all issues related to political life and citizens' rights. It designed a unitary state that affirmed the rights of Spaniards as a whole, over the historical rights of individual kingdoms. Thus, the 1812 Constitution took a further step in the process of political and administrative centralization.

To achieve equality among citizens, the 1812 Constitution established a centralized bureaucracy, a common tax system, a national army, and a free internal market. The constitution proclaimed national sovereignty, attributing legislative power to the Cortes, which would have a single chamber elected by universal male suffrage (although property ownership was required to be a deputy). The Cortes recognized Ferdinand VII as King of Spain, but as a constitutional monarch.

Although a symbol of radical liberalism, the 1812 Constitution reflected the influence of religion and the nobility through the definition of a confessional state and the recognition of the properties of privileged groups. Neither the ongoing war nor Ferdinand VII's subsequent actions allowed for the full implementation of its reforms. Nevertheless, the 1812 Constitution remained alive in memory for over a century and significantly influenced the ideology of liberal movements in South America and Europe.