The orientation of the labour movement to republicanism in 19th century Spain (1840-1860)

Abstract

This article focuses on the increasing proximity of the Labour Movement to the Democratic groups in the mid decades of nineteenth century Spain (1840-1860). The analysis underlines the «citizen» identity of the workers that created the first trade unions in Catalonia. This identity was based on a liberal conception of the world, structured by categories as «human nature», «freedom», «rights» and «equality», which oriented the fights of the workers and their attitude with respect to the liberal political tendencies. At first, this conception projected a set of expectations over these political projects that makes workers support Progresismo as the current that defended labourers’ interests. The article shows how the deception of theses expectations in 1850s was the key factor for the approaching of labourers to Republicanism. This process was the result of the liberal radicalisation of workers’ struggles.