Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This paper reviews recent historiography examining the impact of the 1812 Cádiz Constitution on the Spanish Philippines. Promulgated as a landmark of liberal democracy, the Cádiz Constitution fundamentally reconfigured overseas colonial territories as integral Spanish provinces with rights to parliamentary representation. However, its application in the Philippines revealed profound contradictions. The paper analyzes scholarly works across four main themes: parliamentary representation and colonial power, public dissemination and local reception, racial equality disputes among the native population, and popular resistance such as the 1815–1816 Sarrat Uprising. The analysis demonstrates that rather than resolving colonial hierarchy, the introduction of liberal concepts like equality deepened existing social, racial, and class divisions. Ultimately, local groups deployed liberal ideals to advance their own interests, laying complex precedents that were later resurrected by nineteenth-century ilustrados.
Recommended Citation
"The 1812 Cádiz Constitution: Liberalism and the Colonial Regime in the Spanish Philippines." Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez, Nouvelle série, vol. 55, no. 2, 2025, pp. 343–350.
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