The Moderate Reaction Against the Radicals (1836–1837)…

The Moderate Reaction Against the Radicals (1836–1837) – The Struggle Over Portugal’s Constitution

The Setembrista Revolution of 1836, which overthrew the moderate government and reinstated the radical Constitution of 1822, triggered a violent backlash from the moderates. Many of them saw the Constitutional Charter of 1826 as the legitimate foundation of the liberal victory in the War of Two Brothers (Portuguese Civil War, 1828–1834) and were unwilling to see it replaced by the more radical Constitution of 1822.

The Moderate Backlash – Civil Conflict Resumes

• Moderates viewed the Constitutional Charter as the rightful framework of the monarchy, balancing royal power with parliamentary representation.
• Radicals sought to restore the more democratic and unicameral Constitution of 1822, giving greater power to the Cortes and reducing the monarchy’s role.
• As the radicals took control, moderate officers and politicians began organizing a counter-reaction, determined to restore the Charter of 1826.

The September Revolution and Its Aftermath (1836–1837)

• Following the Setembrista takeover in September 1836, tensions escalated between moderates and radicals.
• Pro-Charter officers launched uprisings, with military factions opposing the radical government.
• By 1837, the conflict escalated into open violence, leading to a series of clashes between the two factions.

Conclusion – Portugal Plunges into Political Instability

• The Liberal victory in the Civil War had not resolved Portugal’s political divisions—instead, it split the liberals between moderates and radicals.
• The moderates saw the Constitutional Charter as the symbol of their success, while the radicals sought deeper political reforms.
• The coming years would be marked by instability and attempts by both factions to control Portugal’s future, leading to further uprisings and power struggles.

The conflict between the Charterists (moderates) and Setembristas (radicals) would define Portuguese politics for the next decade, shaping the country’s constitutional and political development well into the mid-19th century.