WHY WAS THE LIBERAL LAND REFORM INSUFFICIENT?

The renewal of the Spanish economy by the Liberals began with land reform. They wanted to put an end to the
manorial regime and redistribute land owned by the nobility and clergy.
But the result was unexpected. Most of the land for sale was bought by former rural and bourgeois landowners. A
lot of peasants could not afford to buy land, and when communal goods were privatized, they lost access to
pastures, firewood and orchards.
The concentration of land in the hands of large landowners and the abundance of peasants kept wages low and
perpetuated the practice of traditional agriculture.

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LIBERAL LAND REFORM

2
THE STRUCTURE OF LAND OWNERSHIP

Spain continued with traditional agriculture...

70% of the economy continued to be based on agriculture and livestock. The Liberals tried to improve the situation
with land reform, but it was insufficient.
Agricultural production increased but this growth was due to clearing new land rather than the introduction of new
farming techniques and machinery.
Cereal and grape crops increased the most. There was also an increase in corn, olives and potatoes, which
became a staple food, together with bread.
There was also regional specialisation: fruit trees and grapes on the Mediterranean coast, corn and potatoes on the
Cantabrian coast, and cereals and fodder in the interior. The export of citrus fruits, wine and olive oil became
important.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SPA

IN IN 1900

Transhumance sheep farming decreased due to the collapse of traditional wool exports. Pig farming (for human
consumption) increased, as well as the raising of horses, donkeys and mules (for transport).
An agrarian crisis at the end of the century, caused by the arrival of cheap American wheat, slowed the progress of
agriculture and led to an increase in protectionism and emigration.
... and had moderate population growth...
POPULATION GROWTH IN THE 19TH CENTURY

Spain's population increased from 11.5 million inhabitants in 1797 to 18.6 million in 1900. It was sustained
growth, but moderate compared to other European countries, which doubled their population in the same period.
The decrease in deaths and the high birth rate were the main causes of this growth.
The population growth was not evenly distributed. It grew more in the coastal areas (Catalonia, Murcia, the Basque
Country and the Canary Islands) than in the interior, with the exception of Madrid.

... and important migratory movements

Population growth was accompanied by population movements. The concentration of land in the hands of a few,
rural poverty and improved transport encouraged emigration. There were two types of migration:
● Rural exodus: leaving rural areas to look for work in industrial areas that had experienced an economic
boom, such as Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid. This led to the growth of cities, but it was slower than in other
European societies.
● Foreign emigration to Latin America, especiallyto Cuba and Argentina in search of job opportunities, which
occurred in the last decades of the 19th century. The Canary Islands and Cantabria were the regions with the
greatest emigration.

EMIGRATION TO THE AMERICAS (1885-1886)