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LA ÉPOCA DE LA ILUSTRACIÓN
HISTORIA – 4º ESO
2. POLITICAL CHANGES
2.1. Absolutismo y despotismo ilustrado
Durante el Antiguo Régimen se había impuesto en Europa la monarquía absoluta de
derecho divino. El monarca concentraba todos los poderes (judicial, ejecutivo y
legislativo). En algunos lugares como Inglaterra, existía sistemas políticos
parlamentarios, en los que el pode del rey estaba limitado por un Parlamento, donde
estaban representadas, de forma desigual, las diferentes clases sociales.
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Charles II died in 1700 without heirs. In his testament he appointed successor to Philip
V, grandson of the king of France, Louis XIV. Thus came the French house of Bourbon
to Spain. The danger in Europe of a unión between Spain and France, made the
European states to support Charles of Austria as a successor. The War of Succession to
the Spanish Crown began.
The war had a double character: was a international war between France and Spain
against the emperor of Germany, Great Britain, United Provinces, Savoy and Portugal;
also was a civil war between Castilla (support of Bourbon) and Aragón (support of
Austria). The end of the war came with the peace of Utrecht and Rastatt: Philip V was
the king of Spains although ceded territories to Austria, Great Britain and Savoy.
5.2. Changes during the 18th century
Political reforms
The first Bourbons who reigned in Spain were Philip V, Ferdinand VI, Charles III and
Charles IV. They introduced enlightened ideas and made important reforms which
consolidated the absolute monarchy and implanted political and aministrative
centralisation.
In absolute monarchy, all the power was concentrated in the King. To achieve this,
the kings isolated the nobility from power, intervened in the affair of the Church,
and hardly ever convened the Cortes. They ruled with the help of secretaries or
ministers in charge of government affairs.
Political and adminstrative centralisation was imposed by Philip V by means of the
Nueva Planta Decrees (1707, 1715 and 1716). These Decrees suppressed the laws
and institutions of Aragón, Valencia, Catalonia and Mallorca and implanted the
Castilian model. Only the Basque Country and Navarra maintained their charters,
called fueros.
Besides, a new provincial división was imposed, ensuring government control over the
entire territory.
Economic reforms
The Enlightenement favoured the creation of the Economic Societies of Friends of the
Country (Sociedades Económicas de Amigos del País) who spread the innovations of
this period.
In agriculture the new American crops like maize and potatoes spread; irrigation
was promoted, while fallow land was reduced. In addition, tracts of land were
repopulated in Sierra Morena.
Industry promote new techniques of modernisation, and manufacturing was
encouraged, as in the Royal Factories dedicated to shipbuilding, weapons and
luxury goods.
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Domestic trade was boosted because roads were widened and paved, brigdes were
built and a radial road network linking Madrid to the main ports. Foreign trade was
revitalised.
Social reforms
During this century, as the rest of Europe, society criticized the privileged for their lack
of social utility. The Jesuits were expelled because the were contrary to the
enlightened ideas. In addition, some popular customs were reformed. For example,
the wide-brimmed hat and the long cape were prohibited to facilitate the
identification of criminals. This motivated the so-called Esquilache Mutiny.