The Sexenio Revolucionario: Spain's Revolution

• The Sexenio Revolucionario, also known as the Sexenio Democrático, spans from the revolution in September 1868 to General Martínez Campos's pronouncement in December 1874, marking the beginning of the Restoration period in Spanish history.
• Key political players during the Sexenio Revolucionario include Unionists, Progressives, Democrats, and Republicans, as well as interventions from the labor movement, Carlism, and the Cuban issue.
• The six-year revolutionary crisis can be divided into the following stages: constitutional monarchy, federal republic, and Unitarist and presidentialist republic.
• The country's political landscape led to the Bourbon Restoration following these stages.

The Revolution of 1868: "La Gloriosa"

• Spain faced an economic and political crisis in the final years of Isabella II's reign, which included a financial, agrarian, and industrial crisis in 1866.
• The financial crisis stemmed from the low profitability of the railroad industry, which led to the collapse of numerous banks and businesses.
• The state's heavy borrowing led to an increase in the tax burden.
• Drought and poor harvests caused scarcity and starvation in the population which led to the subsistence crisis.
• The collapse of Catalonia's textile industry was caused by rising cotton prices.
• Political crisis arose as a result of the deterioration and crisis of the Isabelline system.
• Moderate governments are accused of corruption, despotism, and immorality.
• The Pact of Ostend, signed in 1866 by progressives and most moderates against Isabella II, was joined by democrats and unionists.
• The revolution of 1868, called "La Gloriosa," began with a military uprising led by Topete, Prim, and Serrano in September.
• The "España con honra" manifesto sought political reforms, including the establishment of a new government without party exclusions after the queen's exile.
• Revolutionary juntas seized power in cities, and the rebellion quickly spread.
• The government resigned, and Isabel II left Spain for France after Isabella's troops were defeated in the Battle of Alcolea.

Provisional Government (1868-1871)

• Military personnel and signatories of the Pact of Ostend formed a provisional government led by Serrano, who was a unionist.
• Prim, a progressive, headed the Ministry of War, excluding Democrats.
• Elections were called for the first time using universal male suffrage for men over 25.
• The Spanish Constitution of 1869 was drafted by progressives, democrats, unionists, federal and unitary republicans, Carlists, and Isabelline/moderate liberals.

The Constitution of 1869

• The constitution established a regime of Constitutional and Democratic Monarchy.
• The democratic charter stemmed from accepting National Sovereignty and direct universal suffrage for males over 25 years and an unambiguous separation of the three powers.
• Only the executive power with the ability to freely appoint and dismiss the government
• The legislature was bolstered by making a bicameral Cortes (Congress and Senate)
• The judiciary was given to judges and tribunals whose access was accomplished through an objection method.
• A broad affirmation of rights and freedoms capped the democratic coda

Colonies and Slavery

• The abolition of slavery was addressed by the Cortes, restricting it to the freedom of wombs, enacted by the Moret Law of July 4, 1870.
• The total abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico and Cuba occurred in 1873 and 1886.
• Simultaneously with the Glorious Revolution, the Grito de Lares and Grito de Yara independence insurrections happened.

The Search for a New King

• The election victory of parties backing monarchy within the 1869 Constitution meant a new king for Spain.
• Serrano assumed the Regency while adhering to the constitution.
• Candidates included the Portuguese Fernando de Coburgo and Antonio de Orleans, Duke of Montpensier, but those were rejected or vetoed.
• Amadeo I of Savoy, son of Italian King Victor Emmanuel II, had the support of Prim due to his ties to the unification of Italy in a constitutional monarchy.
• He was accepted by the Courts on November 30, 1870, and sworn in before the Parliament on January 2, 1871, and elected on November 16, 1870.

Constitutional Monarchy of Amadeo of Savoy (1871-1873)

• Amadeo I, from January 1871 until February 1873, encountered severe challenges.
• Shortly before his arrival, his top supporter, Prim, was murdered by an anarchist
• The politician's death deprived the Spanish government of a liaison for all political powers.
• Amadeo faced opposition from Carlists, Alfonsinos, Republicans, the Bourbon aristocracy and the Church.
• Amadeo struggled with instability and declared anguish over Spanish politics.
• A conflict between Ruiz Zorrilla and the Artillery Corps led to Amadeo I's abdication and to the proclamation of the First Republic on February 11, 1873

The First Spanish Republic (1873-1874)

Republicanism

• The most important development is the rise of republicanism in parliamentary politics.
• Its philosophical origin is liberal, and republican ideology comes from democratic liberalism.
• Republicans advocate widespread reforms and differ based on their type of government.
• Republicans stand for socioeconomic changes that help the working class and universal suffrage.
• Additionally, the powers that be must assume the role of state protector in helping poor people.
• Republicans advocated state laicism, were anti-clerical, because of the Church.
• Two factions were federalists and the unitarists.
• Republicans can be found among the petty bourgeoisie, the poorer working class, movement and former laborers.

The Federal Republic (1873)

• The Federal Republic was born without political or societal support.
• The influential powers of the era opposed a social revolution spearheaded by the church, the army, and owners.
• Estanislao Figueras was the first president, and following the republican win, the federalists gave control to republican theorist Francisco Pi y Margall.
• He established the separation of church and state and a Spanish model based on 15 or 17 federal entities.
• The cantonalism; Cuba's revolt, and the Third Carlist War posed significant challenges.

Cantonalism

• The replacement of PI Y margall by Salmerón caused a turn during the administration.
• Several cities declared self-government and republican rule by way of Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia.
• The central government cracked down harshly on the unrests and insurrections carried out by retailers and traders.
• Cartagena's canton withstood till January 12, 1874, because of its stronghold.

The Ten Years' War (1868-1878) - Grito de Yara

• Supporters of full slave abolition and were against the Spanish government joined with land-owning Cubans.
• Insurrection grew against the colonial government.

The Third Carlist War (1872-1876)

• The war began before the First Republic was declared and increased during the era.
• The Carlist had an army of 45,000 troops and returned early institutions of Catalan.
• They set up a government in Estella with backing of the area and its cultural past.
• By 1876 Alfonsino units with nearly 150,00 armed troops took over by way of force.

Presidential Republic (January 3 – December 29, 1874)

• The industrial and financial middle class trusted the military to establish authoritarian rule.
• The general Pavía gave himself a coup led him by closing the courts.

Bourbon Restoration (December 29, 1874)

• From this point Cánovas del Castillo laid the groundwork for restoring the Bourbon Dynasty.
• Alfonso pledged constitutional governments after securing Isabel II's abdication.
• Alfonso XII was proclaimed monarch of Spain on December 29, 1874, due to a military strike led by General Martínez Campos.

Conclusion

• The Sexenio Revolucionario left Spaniards with progress, the dream for equality.
• The peseta was a new currency, which reflected change in the Spanish Revolution of 1868.