LIBERAL REFORM OF 1833: CHARACTERISTICS AND LAWS - HISTORY - 2025

The liberal reform of 1833 was a series of laws approved by the Congress of Mexico, which served as the legal basis for the reform laws passed twenty years later. These laws served to regulate the relationship between the Church and Mexico. They were dictated in the brief period of the provisional president Valentín Gómez Farías (1833-1834).

Through this legislation, the liberal and anticlerical politician Gómez Farías tried to put an end to the privileges enjoyed by the Catholic Church and the army, but the reform program failed due to the reaction of these two entities. Both sectors asked General Santa Anna to retake the government and eliminate all the laws approved by the liberals.

Valentín Gómez Farías, president who promulgated the Liberal Reform of 1833

Background

In the 1833 elections, General Antonio López de Santa Anna was elected, who appointed Valentín Gómez Farías as vice president.

On April 1, 1833 the new period of government began, but Santa Anna appeared a month later, so Gómez Farías was in charge of the presidency. Santa Anna claimed to be ill, but in reality he was a man of few political convictions and he preferred more to intrigue behind power than to exercise it directly.

Valentín Gómez Farías represented the Mexican liberal middle class. He is considered the precursor of the reform that Benito Juárez will impose two decades later.

Introduction of liberal reforms

The situation was used by Gómez Farías to introduce a series of liberal reforms to the Constitution.

For liberals like Gómez Farías, the country's progress was only possible by having the clergy and the army out of politics, and the conservatives at a distance. The laws he passed were intended to transform the political and social conditions of Mexico.

The reformists were trying to take control of the economy, which was in the hands of the Spanish. They also wanted control of federal and state public offices, held by distinguished intellectuals.

goals

Thus began the passage of reform laws throughout 1833 and early 1834. These laws were intended to undermine the institutional backwardness of the Colony and conservative institutions.

The main objective was to abolish class privileges, which were considered an obstacle to the development of the country.

characteristics

Anticlericalism

The main characteristic of the reform laws of 1833 is their anti-clericalism. It sought to separate the State from the Church to weaken its enormous influence in the affairs of the country.

Civil character

Another characteristic was its civil and egalitarian character. These laws were aimed at also reducing the military power over the state.

Progress search

The reformist program approved by President Valentín Gómez Farías wanted to turn Mexico into a nation of progress. For this it was essential to free it from colonial despotism and old conservative traditions.

The power of the clergy should then be uprooted and subordinated to the State. That power consisted of stripping him of the enormous wealth that he had accumulated throughout history. It was also necessary to decree freedom of worship to reduce its influence on the population.

Laws of liberal reform

The main reforms introduced by Valentín Gómez Farías were:

- Suspension of monastic orders (which govern monasteries).

- Suppression of the payment of the tithe to the Church, leaving the payment of each person.

- Civil marriage is instituted.

- Abolition of the privileges that the clergy and the army had been enjoying.

- Freedom of speech and press are introduced.

- The educational monopoly of the Church was ceased. The Pontifical University of Mexico was suspended and the General Directorate of Public Instruction was created.

- Popular militias are created in the states to replace the eliminated military bodies.

- The assets of the clergy are confiscated in view of the debt payment commitments they had from the republic.

Ecclesiastical reform

A law was passed that freed peasants from the civil obligation to pay tithes to the Church. Its payment was by voluntary decision of each person.

The Catholic Church refused to subordinate itself to the Mexican state. The clergy intended to remain independent of the civil power and only be subordinate to the Pope.

The reforms included establishing compulsory education and opening schools in small towns, founding universities and supporting the development of scientific knowledge, as well as promoting freedom of the press and the habit of reading.

The measures taken for this purpose were:

- The suppression of the Colegio Mayor de Santa María de Todos Santos. Its funds passed into the hands of public education institutions. The Pontifical University was also suppressed, since only a privileged minority studied there.

- A system of popular schools administered by the General Directorate of Public Instruction was created, which was directed by distinguished intellectuals of the time.

- The government program for education included the creation of six universities for youth. The opening of public schools was authorized and the creation of a school for artisans that would work at night was ordered.

- For teachers to be trained, the creation of two normal schools is instructed. And to create and equip the National Library, it is approved to take books from the University and various religious institutions.

Army reform

To transform the state and the situation of the country, it was urgent to reduce military power. The army was permanently conspiring to overthrow the newly inaugurated civilian government. With this he sought to form a new one that would support his ambitious demands.

The military chiefs and warlords were not interested in the progress of the country but in the preservation of their own privileges. Their main demands were to maintain their status, continue to increase their wealth, obtain more promotions and a jurisdiction that would guarantee impunity.

In November 1833, the dissolution of all the army corps that had risen against the constitutional government was then ordered.

The number of superior officers and high military chiefs was diminished. The army was reduced to six infantry battalions and another six cavalry regiments.

In addition, the national militia was created in order to supply the army in each state. This militia would be made up of popular troops armed and trained to confront veteran conspirators.

Reform of the public finances

The financial situation of the republic was very precarious. The foreign debt recently contracted by the previous governments, plus the domestic debt resulting from loans at leonine rates, had the State bankrupt.

The few taxes that were collected did not allow the payment of external financial commitments. The taxes from agriculture, mining and industry were barely enough to cover the expenses of the State. These sectors were also in critical condition.

The capital and wealth in the hands of the clergy were not transferred as a loan to the economic sectors of the country. This led the reformers to the conclusion that the only way to deal with the national public debt was through the confiscation of Church assets.

But in practice this was not the case, because the clerical latifundio was passed to the lay latifundio. Many opportunists acquired these goods cheaply for the sole purpose of amassing wealth, not for the development of the country.

Failure of the reform

The reaction of the Church and the army to the reformist laws that cut off their power did not take long. They both agreed to ask General San Anna to assume the presidency again and put an end to the liberal reform program.

In May 1933 Santa Anna resumed command and Valentín Gómez Farías was removed from office. He immediately repealed all the laws passed by the Liberals. This led to the triumph of the conservative sectors of the country.

References

1. The Laws of 1833 and the Reform Laws. wikimexico.com
2. Gloria M. Delgado de Cantú (2002): History of Mexico. Consulted of books.google.co.ve
3. Spanish confiscation. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
4. Biography of Valentín Gómez Farías. Consulted of biografiasyvidas.com
5. Valentín Gómez Farías. Consulted of ecured.cu
6. Laws of reform of Valentín Gómez Farías. Consulted of academia.edu
7. Monastic rules. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org