Democratic Culture in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Spain

The idea of democracy is central to Spanish political culture today, even as the question of exactly what form democracy should take is still highly contested. When did the notion of democracy first enter the Spanish political imagination and how did the idea evolve over time? In this episode, Professor Florencia Peyrou traces the development of Spanish democrats’ political thinking from the mid-nineteenth century through the chaotic Sexenio Revolucionario period (1868-1874) and beyond. Throughout, she presents democracy as a fluid concept that has had multiple meanings throughout the decades as democrats of all stripes navigated the insurrections, coups, riots and conspiracies of mid-nineteenth century Spain.