HISP 225: Lecture 13 A New Dynasty: The Bourbon Reforms and the Spirit of the Enlightenment

How did Habsburg rule in Spain end?

Charles II died childless in November 1700. His will left Spain, its European possessions and its empire to 17-year-old Philip, Duke of Anjou, a Bourbon and grandson of Louis XIV.

Who were the two claimants in the War of the Spanish Succession?

Philip of Anjou (Bourbon), the French candidate supported by France and promised the throne by Charles II, and Archduke Charles (Habsburg), who would keep the Habsburgs and was supported by Austria, England, the Dutch Republic and others.

Why was the Bourbon succession welcomed in Spain?

Spanish diplomatic circles saw the French-Spanish dynastic alliance as a way to keep Spain’s territory, power and status intact. Louis XIV declared “there are now no Pyrenees”.

Why did England and the Dutch oppose the Bourbon succession?

As maritime powers, they feared a Franco-Spanish alliance would threaten their political and economic interests, despite the will’s stipulation that the two Crowns stay separate.

What was the Grand Alliance of the Hague?

Austria, England and the Dutch Republic, who declared war on France and Spain in May 1702. Portugal joined in 1703 (later also Prussia and Savoy).

Why was the War of the Spanish Succession more than a dynastic war?

It became a major European (even global) conflict in which trade and colonial interests mattered as much as dynastic ones, with a lot of territories at stake. It also caused conflict in North America, so it is considered one of the first global wars.

Why was the war also a civil war inside Spain?

Castile, Navarre and the Basque Provinces backed the Frenchman Philip V (1700-46), while the Crown of Aragon (Aragon, Valencia and Catalonia), unhappy under Habsburg rule, mostly backed Archduke Charles.

Why did Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon back Archduke Charles?

Catalonia’s merchant elite in Barcelona wanted to defend regional autonomy against Bourbon centralization and gain direct access to American markets (not outright independence), while in Valencia and Aragon peasants protested against seigneurial domination.

What showed Spain’s naval weakness in 1702?

An Anglo-Dutch squadron attacked Cádiz and destroyed the treasure fleet and its French escort at Vigo.

What were the key events of 1704-1705?

Archduke Charles arrived via Portugal and was proclaimed Charles III (1704), the Allies captured Gibraltar (August 1704), and in 1705 Valencia and Catalonia declared for Charles, who set up court in Barcelona.

Why was 1706 the “annus horribilis” for the Bourbons?

Marlborough won at Ramillies (losing the Spanish Netherlands), Turin pushed the French out of northern Italy, Majorca and Aragon declared for Charles, and the Allies entered Madrid, forcing Philip to retreat to Burgos.

How did Philip V recover after 1706?

He was backed by the clergy, who called the war a holy crusade, and by renewed French men, money and matériel. Berwick’s victory at Almansa (April 1707) regained Valencia and Aragon.

How did French influence shape Philip V’s Spain?

Louis told Philip to “be a good Spaniard” but remember he was born French. Amelot (ambassador) drove administrative reform (1705-9), Jean Orry restored finances (1702), and the Princesse des Ursins held great influence at court.

How did Philip show his determination in 1709?

He rejected a French-sponsored peace plan and vowed to keep the crown as long as a drop of blood flowed in his veins, even though the Pope had recognized Charles as king that year.

What turned the war in Philip V’s favor?

After the Allies reoccupied Zaragoza and Madrid in 1710, Louis sent fresh armies and the Allies were defeated at Villaviciosa (Dec 1710). In 1711 Joseph I died and Archduke Charles became emperor, so the English and Dutch did not want the Austrian and Spanish empires united and opened talks at Utrecht (1712).

What happened to the Catalans at the end of the war?

Abandoned by the Allies, they fought on until Barcelona surrendered in September 1714 after a two-month siege by a Franco-Spanish army.

What did the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) settle for Philip V?

Philip V became king of Spain but renounced any claim to the French throne, so there was no unification of the French and Spanish crowns (a balance of power). This prevented a Franco-Spanish alliance.

Who gained territory at Utrecht and Rastatt?

Austria gained the Spanish Netherlands, Naples, Milan and Sardinia (Spain later regained the Italian possessions, but not the Low Countries), Sicily went to Savoy, and Britain gained Gibraltar and Minorca.

What commercial privilege did Britain gain at Utrecht?

English merchants won the right to the slave trade in Spanish America (exclusive right for 30 years), an enormous commercial privilege.

What did Spain keep and what did Portugal get back after Utrecht?

Spain kept its American and Asian possessions, and Portugal’s American possessions occupied by Spain during the war were returned.

What happened to Valencia, Aragon and Catalonia after the war?

They lost their ancient rights, laws and institutions and were placed directly under royal supervision, with Spanish becoming the administrative language of those territories.

Why does Philip V’s dynasty matter today?

Philip V founded Spain’s Bourbon dynasty, still reigning today (Felipe VI). It was interrupted only by the French invasion (1808-1814, when Napoleon put his brother on the throne) and the First (1873-74) and Second (1931-39) Republics.

What was Franco’s relationship with the monarchy?

Franco (1939-1975) recognized the monarchy but excluded it from the State until the 1970s.

What does Catalonia’s Diada (September 11) commemorate?

The fall of Barcelona in 1714 and the loss of Catalan autonomy under Philip V. It commemorates defeat and impositions, not a celebration, and today symbolizes Catalan identity and demands for autonomy or independence.

Why is Gibraltar still an issue today?

Captured by Britain in 1704 and ceded “in perpetuity” at Utrecht (1713), it is still British despite Spanish claims and is an important UK naval base.

Which principles guided Philip V’s government?

French principles of statecraft: centralization, rationalization and modernization, aiming to enhance Crown authority and mobilize state resources for war.

How was central administration reorganized under Philip V?

The despacho (cabinet council) became the chief decision-making body, the old Habsburg councils lost influence (only the Council of Castile kept real influence), and executive power passed to secretariats (ministries) staffed by a bureaucratic elite from the lesser nobility.

What happened to the Cortes under Philip V?

It was modified to include representatives from the whole kingdom but ceased to play any meaningful political role, meeting only three times in the 18th century.

What was the Nueva Planta (1707)?

A stern edict punishing the rebellion of the eastern realms by sweeping away the privileges of Aragon and Valencia. Regional councils and Cortes were abolished, Castilian corregidores replaced local officials, and Castilian law replaced traditional fueros.

What did Philip V’s decree of 1707 say about why it was a punishment and a rationalization?

It was a punishment because rebellion broke the oath of fidelity and so the kingdoms lost their fueros and privileges by right of conquest. It rationalized the state by reducing all kingdoms to the uniformity of one set of laws, governed by the laws of Castile.

Why did the decree emphasize that Castilians could obtain offices in Aragon and Valencia?

Because the kingdoms were being reduced to Castilian laws and government, Castilians (his “most faithful vassals”) would hold offices there too, giving the Crown control (a question from the student journal).

How was Catalonia treated in the Nueva Planta of 1716?

Castilian replaced Catalan in administration and courts, Catalan universities were abolished (replaced by a pro-Bourbon one at Cervera), and Castilian law came in, though Catalan civil law was not fully replaced. It ignored the Utrecht clause promising a pardon and “ancient rights”.

Which regions kept their fueros and why?

Navarre and the Basque Country, because they had been loyal to Philip V during the war. Their traditions were respected to prevent conflict.

Why is the Nueva Planta seen as significant?

It erased the autonomy of the eastern kingdoms and created a stronger, more centralized and in theory more united monarchy, marking the birth of Spain as a modern state and ending the Habsburg composite monarchy. It echoes Olivares’s failed Union of Arms.

What were the first steps toward fiscal unification?

A single tax on property and income in Aragon (1714), Valencia (1716) and Catalonia (1717).

Why did the pace of reform slow after the war?

Philip V’s personal failings. He was easily manipulated (by the Princesse des Ursins, then Isabella Farnese), suffered bouts of mental illness (worst 1732-3), and abdicated in January 1724 for his son Louis, resuming the throne in September after Louis died.

Who filled the political vacuum under Philip V and how did Spain rebuild its military?

Foreign advisers (Alberoni, Ripperdá) and then Spanish ministers like José Patiño. More than half the Crown’s income went to the military, with a standing army of about 70,000 on the French regiment system and naval expansion at Ferrol, with Spain’s first naval academy.

What was Isabella Farnese’s foreign policy focus?

Recovering influence in Italy and carving out a kingdom for her son Charles, still firmly European, not colonial security. Spain invaded Sardinia (1717), was thwarted by the Quadruple Alliance (1718), and installed Charles as king of the Two Sicilies (1734).

What was the War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739)?

A long conflict with Britain named after Robert Jenkins, a British smuggler captain who had his ear cut off by a Spanish coastguard, stemming from colonial rivalry and smuggling. British attacks on Cartagena, Cuba, Florida and Panama were repelled, and it ended in 1748 with no major gain.

Why did Philip V’s court create financial problems?

It was more lavish than under the Habsburgs, inspired by Versailles, with spending on new palaces in Madrid, La Granja de San Ildefonso and Aranjuez. In 1731 the royal family took about 7 million of 19 million pesos in revenue.

What was Ferdinand VI’s reign (1746-59) important for?

Strong ministerial leadership, peace and rising revenues let the government look to the long term, strengthen infrastructure and begin closing the technological gap with rivals.

How did Ensenada and Carvajal differ?

Ensenada favored an alliance with France against British naval supremacy and prioritized trade with the Indies, while Carvajal preferred accommodation with Britain and prioritized state promotion of national industry. They agreed the state needed financial resources and military strength, and needed peace.

What was Ensenada’s catastro?

A single tax on income levied on all subjects (noble and non-noble) according to ability to pay, with a survey of property and income across Castile (1750-4) by royal intendants. It was shelved because of fierce resistance by the nobility and clergy.

Which financial reforms did succeed under Ferdinand VI?

Provincial taxation came under direct state control, stricter controls on American trade and treasure returns, and the Giro Real managing foreign exchange. By 1759 there was a surplus of 300 million reales.

How did Ensenada fall and what happened after?

The navy’s growth alarmed Britain, and the British ambassador Keene engineered a conspiracy (Huéscar and Ricardo Wall) that removed him in 1754. Many innovations lapsed and the naval budget was cut.

How did Ferdinand VI’s reign end?

After the death of his queen Barbara of Braganza in 1758 he lapsed into complete madness and the state was paralyzed. He died in August 1759 and his half-brother Charles III took the throne.

Why did Charles III seem the ideal reforming monarch?

He had ruled Naples and Sicily since 1734, facing similar problems, was energetic and took close interest in government, making him the enlightened despot Spain needed.

Who were Charles III’s ministers and what were golillas?

Italians Squillace and Grimaldi, plus Spanish bureaucrats called manteistas or golillas (university-trained lawyers of hidalgo stock, such as Campomanes and Moñino, later Floridablanca). They lacked the wealth and connections of the colegiales (elite graduates who had dominated government).

How did the Bourbons treat the Church?

They subordinated it to the Crown and limited papal interference. The 1753 concordat gave real patronato universal, the excusado came under government control (1761), royal permission was needed for papal documents (1762), and the Church was barred from acquiring property (1765).

What was the Inquisition’s status under Charles III?

Brought under royal control but its powers were not curbed. Its caseload slowed, but it stayed vigilant (e.g. Pablo de Olavide’s arrest in 1776).

What were Charles III’s early foreign policy choices?

He abandoned neutrality and joined the Seven Years’ War on France’s side (Third Family Compact, 1761), entering in 1762. By the Peace of Paris (1763) Spain lost Florida but recovered Havana and Manila and gained Louisiana.

What was the Esquilache riot (1766)?

A popular uprising in Madrid in March 1766 where anarchy reigned for four days and Squillace’s house was sacked, followed by disturbances in over 60 towns.

What caused the Esquilache riot?

Debated. It may have been spontaneous unrest from food shortages (bad harvest of 1765) and resentment of tax rises, or manipulated by a clique of nobles and clerics marginalized by foreigners and parvenus.

What were the consequences of the Esquilache riot?

Squillace was dismissed but there was little change in policy or personnel. Aranda became president of the Council of Castile and security measures included alcaldes de barrio.

Why were the Jesuits expelled in 1767?

Suspicion for the riots fell on them, and a government valuing absolutist monarchy distrusted the Order’s international organization, wealth, quasi-independence (e.g. Paraguay), role in education and loyalty to the papacy. They were seen as a threat to royal authority. The Pope abolished the Order in 1773.

What do the notes say about the Jesuits’ legacy?

They wrote grammars of indigenous languages, were a threat to the Crown because of their power, and influenced writings still read today.

What was the Aragonese Party?

An informal faction of aristocrats, clerics and military men led by Aranda that sought to restrain the centralist, bureaucratic Bourbon state and wanted a return to the consensual Habsburg model.

How did the factional struggle end?

Aranda was sidelined as ambassador to France (1773), but the colegiales vs golillas tensions continued until Floridablanca became secretary of state (1777), ensuring centralization and reform would not be derailed.

How did Charles III reform the military?

He looked to Prussia for army modernization (Ensenada had looked to Britain for naval expertise), the army reached about 60,000 by 1761, and the navy had 67 ships of the line and 32 frigates by 1783, second largest in Europe.

How did Spain act in the War of American Independence?

It aided the rebels without recognizing independence, captured Pensacola (1781), besieged Gibraltar fruitlessly (1779-82) and recaptured Minorca (1782). The Peace of Versailles (1783) returned Florida and Minorca.

What was the negative side of Charles III’s reign?

The state went into debt again. Ensenada’s surplus was wiped out by the wars, attempts to revive the catastro failed, and from 1779 vales reales were issued to bridge income (about 450 million reales) and expenditure (over 700 million).

What were the goals of the Bourbon Reforms (slide)?

Modernize Spain and its empire, make governance more efficient, increase colonial revenue, and restore the hegemony lost after Westphalia (1648) and Utrecht (1713-14). The model was absolutist, brought by the House of Bourbon from France.

Which four key areas did the Bourbon Reforms cover?

The economy, education/religion/culture, health and demography, and military power.

What were the Bourbon Reforms’ economic objectives?

Increase royal revenues by regaining control of corrupt sectors (especially in the Americas), uniform taxation and higher alcabala and tariffs, end the Cádiz and Seville monopoly to curb smuggling, royal monopolies (tobacco, liquor, mercury), modernize mining, and boost agriculture.

Why was mercury important to the reforms?

It is essential to silver mining, and the Americas (New Spain and Peru) were the largest producer of silver, so the Crown wanted to control it, modernize the industry and bring in European miners.

Why did the Bourbons care about population growth?

More people meant more workers and taxes to increase the economy and military, so public health measures were needed.

What public health measures did the Bourbons take?

Sewer systems, regulated water and garbage collection in Madrid (Charles III as “best mayor of Madrid”), the Royal Academy of Medicine (1734), and Madrid’s Royal General Hospital. Medicine shifted from church charity to a royal institution.

What was the Balmis Expedition (1803)?

The Spanish Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the Vaccine, commissioned by Charles IV to Balmis and Salvany, took Jenner’s smallpox vaccine (discovered 1798) to Spain’s territories in the Americas and the Philippines. The vaccine was kept alive arm to arm in orphan boys, a controversial method.

How were Bourbon education reforms limited?

They aimed for a more secular and scientific curriculum with technical and military schools, but the University of Salamanca continued religious and theological teaching.

What was regalism under the Bourbons?

Royal authority placed above the Church, giving the Crown control over appointments of bishops and church officials and curbing Church power.

What ideas of the Enlightenment did the Bourbons accept or reject?

They promoted reason, science and progress but rejected atheism and republicanism they associated with Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu, and censorship remained for works critical of the monarchy or Catholicism.

How did the Bourbons promote a unified Spanish identity?

Through a standardized language via the Royal Spanish Academy (1713), the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and other cultural institutions.

How did military reforms aim to restore hegemony?

A professional army modeled on France’s centralized system, naval expansion (shipyards at Ferrol, Cádiz and Cartagena), and colonial fortifications in Havana, San Juan and Cartagena de Indias against Britain.

What did the Bourbon reforms do in the Americas militarily?

Modernization created militias of Creoles and mixed origins who later became the core of armies for independence.

Why was the Royal Palace of Madrid built for the new dynasty?

It was built after the Spanish palace was destroyed, and unlike El Escorial (Habsburg palace, monastery and royal tomb) it reflected centralized power and followed the French idea.

Why did bullfighting become popular in 18th-century Spain (student journal)?

Spain did not invent it (bulls in spectacle or religion have a long Mediterranean and Near East tradition), but in its current form it became a popular entertainment in the 18th century. Goya’s Tauromaquia (1816) shows it.