1. FOURTH TEXT: THE REIGN OF ISABEL II. LIBERALISM AND REACTION
SUMMARY
In the 1830s Spanish society was seen as a country that kept human values of a
traditional society; its government was in ‘ragamuffins’ hands and the objectives of the
political elite were to convert Spain into a liberal parliamentary monarchy that would
give power to the ‘men of property and intelligence’. The Constitution of 1834 wanted
to reconcile the fundamental laws of the kingdom with the progress of the civilization.
There were battles between the anti-Carlist coalition of the Moderate party and the
Progressives during 1834 till 1868 because of ‘a weak civil society ‘. An illiterate
population and lacked of an independence desire let the politicians of both parties
struggled for power and patronage manipulating the electorate. Therefore there was an
alternation in power of Progressives and Moderates in government by the
pronunciamientos. The major politicians were the generals who were seen as heroes
such as Baldomero Espartero, Juan Prim (Progressives), Ramón María Narváez
(Moderate) and Leopoldo O’Donnell (Liberal Unionists).
Most of the pronunciamientos didn’t end up in bloody battles although all of them had
civilian support and a party programme. However the result was disastrous as there was
a continuous abuse of power and corruption.
The Progressives doctrine was that the constitution should represent the sovereignty of
the nation and only the property-owners could vote. They fought against the despotism
through pronunciamientos. The lower-middle-class pretendientes got minor government
posts. They organized committees and a National Militia to protect their conquests. Juan
Mendizábal (1790-1853), who was the prime minister in 1835, confiscated the landed
property of the church although only holders of government bonds took advantage of
this (government friends, local notables and substantial farmers). Aristocratic entail and
the seigniorial dues were abolished and the nobles bought them with little money. The
guilds were abolished too. The poor lost for the benefit of the ‘powerful ones’.
In the 1840s the Democrat party emerged claiming universal male suffrage, a
distribution of rural land to the dispossessed and the legalization of workers’
associations to fight employers. Socialism and republicanism were taking place in
politics meanwhile the Progressives needed the Democrats. Both parties created an
alliance between them but once the Progressives reached the power, they betrayed the
Democrats.
The Moderates defended order against the excesses of the progressives. They were in
favour of a constitution embodying the link of the king and the Cortes (Constitution of
1845). The Moderates forbade the town councils and the National Militia. At that time
Livia Fernández Pérez
2º BACHILLERATO A
PROYECTO INTEGRADO

2. Espartero, who was a General progressive, forced María Cristina and the Moderate
leaders into exile. He ruled as a regent from 1841 to 1843. However another
pronunciamiento took place by the General Narváez and General Espartero was moved
aside.
Livia Fernández Pérez
2º BACHILLERATO A
PROYECTO INTEGRADO