The dialectics of transition. From equality in the colonial empire to citizenship in the liberal nation. Spaniards, caste and territory in the Cortes (Parliament) of Cádiz

Spaniards, castes and territories in the Cortes of Cádiz

Abstract

This paper considers the important debates that took place at the foundational process of the Spanish liberal nation, when the vast colonial empire of an Ancien Régime monarchy tried to change into a state based on representation of both its citizens and its territories. The double dilemma of defining citizenship and organising the territories according to the liberal principles constituted the core of those debates. All inhabitants of the lands under Spanish rule were declared to be Spaniards with equal rights, but not all of them were given political citizenship. On the other hand, slavery and the American caste system became controversial issues, due to their widespread social and political repercussions. Equal representation of all territories conforming the State of the Spanish nation was the other main source of tension between Spanish and American representatives. Some federalist ideas were suggested, but they never succeeded.