«Apostles of absolute rights»: democracy and natural rights in liberal Spain

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/cercles2024.27.1001

Keywords:

llenguatge dels drets, moviment democràtic, sobirania, dret d’associació, Fernando Garrido Tortosa.

Abstract

Abstract: During the mid-nineteenth century, Spanish democratic and republican sectors defended and promoted processes of political and socioeconomic citizenship building. In doing so, a distinctive element of the political culture of liberalism was the recurrent use of a language of rights, conceptualized as inherently linked to men. Key notions such as sovereignty, advocacy for the right of association, and strategic divergences among democrats were all influenced by this shared cultural framework and the ensuing interpretations thereof. This paper endeavours to delineate the trajectory of democracy in liberal Spain by examining the deployment of the language of rights. We do so through an analysis of the political experience and public work of Fernando Garrido Tortosa, a prominent activist and propagandist affiliated with the pro-republican faction.


Keywords: language of rights, democratic movement, sovereignty, right
of association, Fernando Garrido Tortosa.

Author Biography

Xavier Granell Oteiza, Institut Universitari Europeu Department d’Història

Xavier Granell is a pre-doctoral researcher in the Department of History at the European University Institute (Florence). His research delves into the connections between popular republicanism and revolution within the context of the Spanish empire during the mid-19th century. His thesis is focused on the mobilizations that transpired in both the empire’s core and its colonies in the Caribbean and Asia circa 1868.

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Published

2024-11-28

Issue

No. 27 (2024): Cercles: Revista d'Història Cultural

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 © Xavier Granell Oteiza

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