Spanish Constitution of 1837 facts for kids

Cover of the Spanish Constitution of 1837.

The Spanish Constitution of 1837 was a very important set of rules for how Spain was governed from 1837 to 1845. It helped bring back some of the best ideas from an older constitution, the Spanish Constitution of 1812 (also called the "Cádiz Constitution"). This new constitution made sure that ideas like constitutionalism (governing by a constitution), parliamentarism (having a strong parliament), and separation of powers (dividing government power into different parts) became central to Spain's government.

How the 1837 Constitution Was Made

In 1836, a group of army sergeants led a coup (a sudden takeover of power) in a place called La Granja de San Ildefonso. They forced the queen's mother, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, who was acting as regent, to choose a new government. This new government was controlled by the Progressive Party.

At first, this new government brought back the old Spanish Constitution of 1812. Then, they called for a special meeting of lawmakers, called the Constituent Cortes. This group was also mostly made up of Progressives. Their job was to create the new Constitution of 1837.

Key Features of the 1837 Constitution

Even though the Progressives were in charge of creating it, the new constitution tried to be a compromise. It was somewhere between the very liberal 1812 Constitution and the more conservative Royal Statute of 1834. This was done to try and get support from the Moderate Party as well.

Ideas from the Cádiz Constitution

The 1837 Constitution shared some important ideas with the older 1812 Cádiz Constitution. These included:

• National Sovereignty: This meant that power came from the nation (the people), not just from the king or queen.
• Citizens' Rights: It recognized many rights for people living in Spain.
• Division of Powers: The government's power was split into different parts, like the king, the parliament, and the courts.
• Stronger Parliament: The Cortes (Spain's parliament) had a bigger role and more power.
• Limited Royal Power: The power of the monarch (king or queen) was not absolute; it had limits.

How Parliament Worked

The structure of the parliament (the Cortes) in the 1837 Constitution was similar to parliaments in countries like France or Belgium at that time.

• Lower House: This was called the Chamber of Deputies. People could vote for who would be in this house.
• Upper House: This was called the Senate. The monarch chose who would be in the Senate.

The monarch also had the power to call meetings of the Cortes and to close them down.

Who Could Vote?

The 1837 Constitution did not allow everyone to vote. Instead of universal suffrage (where almost all adults can vote), it used a system called censitary suffrage. This meant only people who paid a certain amount of taxes (at least 200 reales) could vote. This was only about five percent of the population.

What Happened Next?

In 1845, the Moderate Party was in power. They replaced the 1837 Constitution with a new one, the Spanish Constitution of 1845. One big change in the 1845 Constitution was that even fewer people could vote – less than one percent of the population.

See also

In Spanish: Constitución española de 1837 para niños