UNIT 5 SOCIAL SCIENCE: CONTEMPORARY HISTORY: SPAIN IN THE 19th

THE 19th CENTURY
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

In 1807, Napoleón Bonaparte, the Emperor of France, decided to occupy Portugal. The King of Spain, Carlos IV, allowed him to cross Spain. On their way, the French troops invaded some Spanish cities. This caused a popular revolt which forced Carlos IV to abdicate. His son,  Fernando VII, became king.

Soon after, Napoleón forced Fernando VII to abdicate so he could proclaim his brother, Jose Bonaparte, the new king.

However, the population of Madrid didn't accept him and rebelled against the French. This started the War of Independence (3rd of May of 1808). This war lasted until 1814, when the French were defeated and Fernando VII returned as King of Spain.
During the war, the Spanish Parliament moved to Cádiz. In 1812, its members wrote Spain's first constitution, the Constitution of Cádiz. It limited the king's power and established rights for citizens, including the right to vote for men 25 years old or older.

THE REIGN OF FERNANDO VII

In 1814, Fernando VII returned as King of Spain. He abolished the Constitution of Cádiz and re-established an absolute monarchy. This caused political disorder and, as a result, most of the American colonies became independent.

THE REIGN OF ISABEL II

In Spain, according to the law of succession, only men could reign. However, Fernando VII changed this law so his daughter could ascend to the throne. Isabel II became queen when Fernando VII died in 1833.

During her reign, there was a constitutional monarchy that limited her power. However, numerous military conflicts and changes of government led to a revolution, and in 1868, Isabell II went into exile.

THE FIRST SPANISH REPUBLIC

In 1871, Amadeo de Saboya of Italy became king. However, since he was a foreign monarch, he didn't have much support, and the abdicated two years later.

In 1873, members of Parliament proclaimed a republic, a form of government with no king. This First Spanish Republic also lacked support and failed after about a year.

THE SPANISH RESTORATION

In 1874, the son of Isabel II, Alfonso XII, was crowned king of Spain, and a new historical period, known as the Restoration, began.

At the end of the 19th century, Spain lost its last colonies in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution originated in the United Kingdom at the end of the 18th century, and then it extended to other countries. In Spain, the Industrial Revolution took place in the 19th century. Factories were built mainly in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Small craftsmen’s workshops were replaced by factories with machines operated by workers. The steam engine was invented and a new energy source, coal, was used. Thanks to the steam engine, trains and steamboats were developed, and new machines allowed the textile and metal industries to advance dramatically. 

As a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, many important economic and social changes took place. A society that was based on agriculture transformed into a society based on industrial activities.

Society

Society in the 19th century was divided into three social classes, based on wealth.

The upper class consisted of the wealthiest people: the aristocrats and the bourgeois.
– The aristocrats were nobles who owned large areas of land.
– The bourgeois were factory owners, prosperous merchants and bankers.

The middle class consisted of small merchants and entrepreneurs, small landowners, and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and engineers.

The lower class consisted of poorer people, such as peasants and factory workers.
– The peasants worked on the land of the large landowners.
– The factory workers worked in exchange for wages. Their living conditions were very hard. They worked more than twelve hours a day for very low wages. They lived in undeveloped neighbourhoods with no electricity or running water. In addition, many children worked in factories for wages even lower than those paid to adults. In order to protect their interests, workers formed groups known as labour unions.