The crisis of the Spanish ancient régime and the formation of the antiliberals (1808-1814)

Author(s)

Bruno Santos Sobrinho

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2023-11-29

Examining board members

Marcia Regina Berbel; Maria Ivana Frasquet Miguel; Cecilia Helena Lorenzini de Salles Oliveira; Luiz Geraldo Santos da Silva

• Advisor: Monica Duarte Dantas; Marcia Regina Berbel

Abstract

Between 1808 and 1814, the Hispanic monarchy underwent a period of extreme significance in its political history. Faced with a power vacuum caused by the capture of the legitimate monarch, Fernando VII, and the coronation of Joseph Bonaparte as a result of the French occupation, the Spanish found themselves in a profound crisis. Resistance was organized by those who did not submit to the rule of the new dynasty, also giving rise to new political actors to occupy the emptied political stage. This study aims to understand the perception of the crisis and the different proposed solutions presented by opponents of Hispanic modernization. To do so, texts written between 1808 and 1814 by individuals identified as anti-liberals will be analyzed, along with the proceedings Diary of the Courts of Cádiz, available from 1810 to 1814. The goal is to identify and analyze possible influences of the discussions presented in these works, from the early stages of the crisis to the debates held in the Courts. The Courts of Cádiz represented the emergence of a new decision-making sphere in the political arena, inaugurated after the junta period (1808-1810). It was another moment of the crisis when various political actors operated in the field of institutionalizing political disputes. To further understand anti-liberal thought, we seek to analyze the actions of deputies considered anti-liberal in the Courts of Cádiz (1810-1814), understanding their proposals for the drafting of the Constitution of 1812. We also aim to connect the speeches of these deputies with writings published by editors of periodicals during the period of Napoleonic occupation. It will be possible to understand the projects presented by this group and the different positions of these deputies throughout the dynamics of the Courts, which included internal disputes over the concepts enshrined in the Constitution of 1812 and widely discussed in public papers emerging during those years. It is understood that this group experienced the crisis and also presented propositions for its resolution that, to some extent, distanced themselves from a perspective close to the absolutism of the 18th century (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/23904-6 - The crisis of the Spanish Ancient Régime and the formation of the Antiliberals (1808-1814)
• Grantee: Bruno Santos Sobrinho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate