the War of Independence was between Spanish people whith different political ideas, where also in conflicts, like in a civil war. Other countries participated in the war, on one side or other Great Britain, fighting against Napoleon, was fundamental to the victory of Spain in 1814. In 1812, during the war, the cortes de Cadiz took place. This is were the first Constitution in the history of Spain was written. It was a liberal text. This means is defended rights and liberties for citizens against absolutist.

French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was extending his empire across Europe. Spanish king charles lV of Bourbon and his son Fernando Vll Were fighting amongst themselves. This allowed Napoleon to invade Spain and put his brother on the throne under the name of José l Bonaparte. On may 2 1808 the people of Madrid rose up against the french invasion. That meant the beginning of the war of independence.

(In 1843, at the age of only thrithen, Isabel was proclaimed queen Isabel ll) During her reigth, the liberal politics who had supported her, formed two parties: The moderate liberals , represented by Narváez, were supported by the wealthy classes and defended conservative liberalism. While in power , they approved the constitution of 1845. The Progressives, led by Espartero, represented the middle and lower classes. and wanted to bright greater liberties for more sectors of the population.

Fernando Vll changed the law of succession to the throne. The new law allowed his daughter Isabel, declared heir to become queen. When the king died Isabel was only three year old and her mother, queen Maria Christina of bourbon, ruled as regent. The infante Carlos brother of Fernando Vll, disagreed with the new law of succession and succession and succession and attempted to claim the throne. Carlos was supported by the absolutist, know as the carlist, at and the Queen Regent gained to approve the Constitution of 1837. The absolutist, or Carlist, rejected this situation, and fought the Isabelinos in the First Carlist War.

After the war, Fernando Vll of bourbon returned to the Spanish throne. Despite the confidence the Spanish people had in the king, he abolished the constitution and restored absolutism. This led to confrontations between liberals and absolutism in the following years, and this continued after the death of the monarch in 1833. The Spanish colonies in America were not pleased with these events, and proclaimed their independence.

The reigth of Isabel ll lasted until 1868. In this year a military group rose up against the Queen and she went into exile in France. The Fall of Isabel ll opened a democratic process in Spain. This resulted in the new Constitution of 1869, which established a parliamentary monarchy, where a monarch reigns but does not rule the country. The chosen king was Amadeo l. The new king faced numerous problems that led him to renounce the throne in 1873. The First Spanish republic was then proclaimed, meaning the first government without a king. However, another military uprising restored the monarchy soon after, in 1874

A year later, Alfonso Xll Bourbon, son of Isabel ll, was restored to the throne. In this period the Constitution of 1876 was one before, and a new system of government allowed alternating of the two main political parties, the conservatives, led by Cánovas del Castillo, and the Liberals, led by Sagasta. The restoration lasted after the death of the king. His wife, Maria Cristina of Habsburg, ruled has regent because her son Alfonso Xll, the heir, was still a baby. During her regency, Spain lost its last colonies: Cuba and the Philippines.

The French Revolution: It Broke out France in 1789. People rose up against the injustices of absolutism and they organised a government based on the ideas of the Enlightenment, such as equal rights and liberties for all citizens. These ideas were defended in two texts: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the Constitution of 1791.

Political movements: In some European countries citizens demanded suffrage, which means the right to vote for government. They carried out a series of strikes and protest with were called the labour government.

The Industrial revolution: It started in the late in 18th century in England with the steam engine invention. Steam engines burnt coal to heat huge water boils with produced steam. This stem was used to move machines like looms in textile factories as well as trains and steamboats.

Social Changes: People were grouped according to the money they had. There were, three main social classes: the upper class, formed by the bourgeoisie, the lower working class, formed by the workers, and between these two groups, there was the middle class.

The French revolution and the industrial Revolution marked the beginning of Contemporary Times.

Technical and medical advance: Medical advances, like vaccines, prevented thousand of deaths and technical advances in agriculture produced more food. As a consequence, population growth increased in a period of human demographic explosion in most of European countries.

Throughout this century economy and social transformations were bringing Spain closer to a modern society, but these changes happened very slowly.

Economy and industrialisation: the industrial Revolution was late and slow and only arrived in places like the Basque Country, Catalonia and the large cities.

Most of the population still worked in the fields with underdeveloped technology, whereas countries like England or Germany used advanced machinery and where much more productive.

Modern forms of transport, like the railway, didn't appear until the second half of the century whith further help up industrialisation and economic development in the country.

Society: In spite of the low levels of industrualisation, the burgeoisie became rich and thanks to the arrival of liberals ideas , they also became the dominant social class. The aaaaaIndustrial revolution brougth