Spanish Nobility and Bourgeoisie Transformation Post-Liberalism

The Survival of the Nobility

With the new liberal society, the Spanish nobility, consisting of a small group of families, saw their economic power reduced. However, they managed to retain their lands and acquired new properties from the seizures.

The fate of the gentry was different. The nobles lost their main privilege and began to practice many different activities, eventually diluting among a group of middle landowners.

The power of the nobility stemmed not only from wealth but also from their political influence. During the Elizabethan reign, they constituted the most influential group at court and were part of the cliques.

The liberal nobility accepted and shared influences with bourgeois groups but maintained its social prominence.

Although in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the nobility lost part of its economic power and political influence, during the Restoration period, part of the nobility appeared to undertake business with wealthy bourgeois.

Bourgeois Groups

The industrial revolution formed a new bourgeoisie tied to business, trade, banking, and foreign capital since the time of Mendizábal. Some active traders increased their fortunes due to state grants and loan operations; they were also beneficiaries of state public debt and major investors in the stock market.

A large part of the bourgeoisie acquired property from the Church and therefore swelled the ranks, becoming rentier landowners.

The industrial bourgeoisie itself was restricted to certain areas in Catalonia and the Basque Country. This group worried the liberal state, securing the necessary incipient protectionist policy for industry.

The Middle Classes

They occupied a middle ground between the powerful and brought together employees, medium owners, traders, and civil servants. The development of the middle class is related to urban growth and the expansion of administration and services. There was also a group of liberal professionals.

The middle classes shared a powerful lifestyle and sought to imitate the social forms of the nobility and bourgeois salons.