Contemporary Age in Spain XIX Century

Contemporary Age runs from the French Revolution (1789)... to out days.

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Time of changesWithin the last 200 years there have been more changes than in all previous 2000 years

● Most of these changes started with the Industrial Revolution.

■ Changes in SocietySociety is organized in social classes which are formed by people of a certain economic level.

The two main social classes are:-Bourgeoisie, formed by people who had money enough to create industries, lawyers, doctors, wealthy merchants, etc.

-Workers, people with few economic resources who work at the factories in hard conditions.

Contemporary Age ideology

Spain has two main political ideas in the XIX century: absolutism and liberalism.Liberals defend the French Revolution ideas, they are intellectuals and bourgoisies who want a democratic government that raises from the citizens.

Absolutists or Conservatives want the King to have all the power. They are nobles who try to keep all their wealth and privileges and the lower classes (workers and poor people) who have no knowledge of the ideas of the Revolution.

XIX TIMELINE

CONTEMPORARY AGE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1808-1814)In the early XIX century, Napoleon extended his dominions over Europe . His troops invaded Spain in the year 1808. This provoked the Spanish people raising, and ended with their victory over the French (with the help of England) in the year 1814.

CONTEMPORARY AGE

CÁDIZ CONSTITUTION (1812)During the war, the first Constitution was claimed. It contained the rights all the citizens should have without social class or economic level distinction.

CONTEMPORARY AGEKINGDOM OF FERNANDO VII (1814-1833)

Fernando VII reigned after the War of Independence. He abolished the Constitution of Cadiz and cancelled all the citizens rights, getting spanish society back to Absolutism and ruling despotically until his death in 1833.

KINGDOM OF ISABEL II (1833-1868)During her reign, Spain finally became a Constitutional monarchy. Isabel’s personal behaviour was so erratic that she was eventually deposed in 1868, following a revolution.

For the next three years Spain was a monarchy in search of monarch. A European-wide search finally came up the Italian, Amadeo of Savoy.  He reigned for just over three years (1870-73) before abdicating and escaping back to Italy from what he called the “lunatic asylum” of Spanish politics.

CONTEMPORARY AGE

CONTEMPORARY AGEFIRST REPUBLIC (1873)First time the Head of the Government was chosen by people’s election. It lasted only one year (1873-74), ran through four presidents, and was plagued by urban rebellions, street riots and violence…

KINGDOM OF ALFONSO XII (1875-1885)Parlamentary monarchy was restored and a new constitution was claimed.Having survived an assassination attempt, he died in 1885 (aged 27), before the birth of his son and heir, Alfonso XIII.

CONTEMPORARY AGESPANISH COLONIES IN AMERICA EMANCIPATED

Their inhabitants wanted to be independent from Spain so they rised against the spanish central government. By 1825 Spain had also suffered the devastating loss of all its overseas possessions, except Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines; in 1898 these too were lost following Spain’s humiliating defeat by the United States.

CONTEMPORARY AGE

Industrial and rural industrialization in Spain took place very late compared to other parts of Europe .Agricultural modernization was slow and scarce and there were very few willing to invest their money in the creation of industries. Thus the major part of the XIX century people was still dedicated to agriculture.Only two regions iniciated a little industrial development: Catalonia (clothing industries) y Basque Country (steel industries).

Slow process of Industrialization