The Portuguese Succession Crisis of 1826 – Pedro I’s Conditional Abdication

The death of King João VI in March 1826 created a succession crisis in Portugal, as the rightful heir to the throne was his eldest son, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. However, neither Portugal nor Brazil wanted a unified monarchy, leading to a complicated political arrangement to resolve the issue.

Pedro I’s Abdication in Favor of Maria da Glória

• Pedro I of Brazil (Pedro IV of Portugal) abdicated the Portuguese throne in April 1826 in favor of his seven-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória.
• To maintain dynastic unity and avoid further conflict, Pedro stipulated that Maria must marry his younger brother, Prince Miguel, upon coming of age.

The Constitutional Charter of 1826

• As part of the succession arrangement, Pedro granted a new constitution to Portugal, known as the Constitutional Charter of 1826.
• This moderate constitutional document balanced monarchical authority with liberal principles, offering:
  • A bicameral legislature, with a House of Peers (appointed) and a House of Deputies (elected).
  • A constitutional monarchy, granting the king executive power while maintaining representative governance.
  • Civil liberties and legal protections without fully embracing democratic rule.

Miguel’s Role as Regent

• Since Maria da Glória was too young to rule, Pedro appointed Miguel as regent of Portugal, entrusting him to govern in her name.
• This arrangement was intended to reconcile the absolutist and liberal factions in Portugal, but it would soon collapse into open civil war as Miguel sought to claim the throne for himself.

Pedro Returns to Brazil – A Fragile Peace

• With the succession crisis seemingly resolved, Pedro returned to Brazil, leaving Maria as the designated queen and Miguel as her regent.
• However, this compromise would not last, as Miguel soon rebelled against the arrangement, proclaiming himself king and rejecting the Constitutional Charter, leading to the Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834).

Conclusion – A Temporary Settlement That Led to Civil War

The succession settlement of 1826, while attempting to balance absolutist and liberal forces, only delayed further conflict. Within two years, Miguel would seize power as an absolutist ruler, forcing Pedro to return from Brazil to fight for his daughter’s rights. This struggle culminated in the Portuguese Civil War, a defining conflict between monarchical absolutism and constitutional liberalism in Portugal.

The Succession Crisis of 1826 – Pedro I Inherits and Abdicates the Portuguese Throne

With the death of King João VI on March 10, 1826, Pedro I of Brazil unexpectedly inherited the Portuguese throneas King Pedro IV of Portugal. However, the situation was politically complex, as Pedro had already declared Brazil’s independence in 1822 and was reigning as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. To avoid a dual monarchy and further conflicts between Portugal and Brazil, he abdicated the Portuguese throne shortly after in favor of his daughter Maria da Glória.

The Death of João VI – A Case of Poisoning

• King João VI fell ill suddenly on March 4, 1826, after dining at the Jerónimos Monastery.
• He died six days later, on March 10, under mysterious circumstances.
• An investigative autopsy 174 years later (in 2000) revealed that he had been poisoned with arsenic.
• The exact perpetrator remains unknown, though speculation suggests political rivals, possibly linked to the ongoing struggle between liberals and absolutists.

Pedro IV’s Short Reign and Abdication (March 10 – May 28, 1826)

• Upon João VI’s death, Pedro I of Brazil inherited the Portuguese throne, becoming Pedro IV of Portugal.
• Pedro had no interest in ruling both Brazil and Portugal, as unifying the two countries was politically impossible.
• On May 28, 1826, Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his seven-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória, who became Queen Maria II.

The Marriage Condition – A Political Compromise

• Pedro stipulated that Maria should marry his younger brother, Dom Miguel, as a way to unite the liberal and absolutist factions in Portugal.
• This arrangement was meant to ensure stability, but it would soon unravel, leading to the Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) between liberal and absolutist forces.

Conclusion – A Fragile Succession That Led to War

Pedro I’s abdication in favor of Maria II was an attempt to resolve Portugal’s succession crisis peacefully, but the conflict between liberals and absolutists persisted. Dom Miguel would soon seize power, overthrow Maria II, and establish an absolutist regime, leading to a protracted civil war between Miguelist and liberal forces.

Pedro, though remaining Emperor of Brazil, would later return to Portugal to fight for his daughter’s rights, marking another turning point in Portuguese history.

Atlantic Southwest Europe (1828–1971 CE)

Interior Vineyards, Coal Valleys, and Capitals under Dictatorships

Geography & Environmental Context

Atlantic Southwest Europe comprises northern Spain and central to northern Portugal (including Lisbon). It is an interior-leaning Atlantic rim: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, León, and the northern Meseta in Spain; Minho, Trás-os-Montes, Beira, and the Tagus–Douro valleys in Portugal—plus Lisbon as an estuarine capital. The landscape mixes rain-fed hills, granitic uplands, river terraces, and vineyard slopes (notably the Douro), with cool, wet winters and mild summers that favor grains, vines, and pasture.

Climate & Environmental Shifts

A temperate, ocean-modulated regime brought high rainfall to the northwest and drier interiors to the south and east. Crop failures periodically followed cold spells (1830s) and vine disease (phylloxera in the 1870s–1890s). Post-1945 damming moderated river floods and expanded irrigation, while mid-century reforestation (eucalyptus and pine, especially in Galicia and northern Portugal) altered fire regimes and rural economies.

Subsistence & Settlement

• Farms & holdings: A mosaic of small plots—minifundio in Galicia/Minho—produced rye, maize, potatoes, wine, olives, and garden crops; communal pastures supported cattle and dairy. In some Portuguese districts, larger latifúndio-style estates lingered on the margins of the region.

• Vine and olive belts: The Douro’s schist terraces supplied fortified wines; Dão and Bairrada developed quality table wines. Phylloxera devastation forced grafting onto American rootstocks and vineyard restructuring.

• Mining & industry: Asturias and León expanded coal and iron (19th–early 20th c.), feeding steelworks and railways; textile workshops and paper mills dotted Minho and Beira; Lisbon drew food-processing, printing, and later electrical goods.

• Urban network: Lisbon dominated administration, finance, and culture; Porto led wine trade and manufacturing; Oviedo, León, Santiago de Compostela, Braga, and Guimarães anchored regional services, schools, and markets.

Technology & Material Culture

Railways (Douro line to the Upper Douro; Minho and Beira lines; León–Asturias coal routes) linked interior valleys to capitals. Wine technology modernized with grafting, sulfur, and temperature-aware cellaring; cooperative dairies spread in Minho and Galicia. Hydropower projects (e.g., mid-century Douro/Tagus systems; Zêzere’s Castelo de Bode) electrified towns and mills. Rural material life shifted from stone farmsteads and hand looms to radio, bicycles, and, after 1950, tractors and household appliances—unevenly distributed.

Movement & Interaction Corridors

• River corridors: The Douro and Tagus valleys funneled grain, wine, and timber toward Porto and Lisbon; Spain’s northern coal lines moved fuel to interior foundries and power.

• Emigration: Recurring out-migration to the Americas (19th c.) and, after 1945, to France, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg relieved rural pressure and sent remittances home.

• Pilgrimage & learning: Roads to Santiago de Compostela sustained hospitality trades; universities in Santiago, Coimbra, and Lisbon shaped professional elites.

• State arteries: Customs, conscription, and schooling integrated hinterlands into centralized regimes in Madrid and Lisbon.

Cultural & Symbolic Expressions

• Portugal: Liberal Wars (1828–1834) gave way to constitutional monarchism, then the Estado Novo (from 1933), which promoted ruralist ideals and fado as urban folklore, while censoring dissent. Coimbra fado, literary modernism, and Lisbon cafés nurtured counter-cultures beneath official narratives.

• Spain (north): The Carlist Wars repeatedly mobilized conservative rural communities; the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) ruptured Galicia–Asturias–León, followed by Franco’s dictatorship. Galician letters (Castelao, later Celso Emilio Ferreiro) and regional languages persisted within censorship’s limits; craft festivals, romerías, and confraternities sustained local identity.

• Common threads: Brotherhoods, harvest feasts, wine confraternities, and student tunas (song groups) bridged town and countryside; post-1945 football clubs, radio, and television reknit cultural space.

Environmental Adaptation & Resilience

Terracing and dry-stone walls conserved thin soils on vine slopes; crop rotations (maize–beans–fodder) stabilized yields; chestnut groves, dairy cooperatives, and small orchards buffered income. After phylloxera, grafting and hillside replanting rescued wine. Hydropower, rural electrification, and postwar road-building reduced isolation; remittances financed cisterns, masonry houses, and tractors. Forest cooperatives and parish firefighting faced new plantation fire risks.

Political & Military Shocks

• Portugal: Liberal Wars (1828–1834); late-century republican agitation culminating in 1910 revolution; Estado Novo consolidation (1933–1971 within this period), wartime neutrality, and colonial wars beginning in the 1960s.

• Spain: Carlist conflicts (1833–1876), industrial strikes in Asturias (early 20th c.), Civil War (1936–1939) with severe repression in the aftermath; autarky (1940s) followed by development plans (1960s) that spurred roads, dams, and migration.
  These shocks redirected land tenure, taxation, and conscription, reshaping everyday life from village commons to university lecture halls.

Transition

From 1828 to 1971, Atlantic Southwest Europe shifted from smallholder mosaics and coal valleys into a region of terraced wines, electrified interiors, and authoritarian capitals. The Douro’s rebuilt vineyards, Lisbon’s bureaucratic and cultural gravity, Asturias’s coal districts, and Galicia–Minho’s emigrant networks defined its arc. Wars and dictatorships constrained politics, yet households adapted through cooperative dairies, hydropower, remittances, and education. By 1971, despite persistent rural poverty pockets, the region stood knitted to Western European markets and migration circuits—its hillsides of vine and maize, and its capitals’ ministries and cafés, poised for the democratic transformations and EEC integrations soon to follow.

Atlantic Southwest Europe (1828–1839): Liberal Turmoil, Constitutional Struggles, and Early Industrialization

Between 1828 and 1839, Atlantic Southwest Europe—including northern and central Portugal (Lisbon, Porto), Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, northern León and Castile, the Basque Country, and northern Navarre—entered a turbulent period defined by liberal revolutions, civil conflicts, constitutional struggles, and the early stages of industrialization. Portugal faced a bitter civil war between liberals and absolutists, while Spain grappled with similar tensions erupting into the First Carlist War. These upheavals reshaped regional identities, intensified political alignments, and set lasting foundations for modern governance and economic development.

Political and Military Developments

The Portuguese Liberal Wars (1828–1834)

• Portugal descended into civil conflict known as the Liberal Wars between supporters of constitutional monarchy (Liberals) and absolutist factions loyal to Dom Miguel, who seized power in 1828.

• Northern Portugal, especially Porto, became a bastion of liberal resistance during the 1832–1833 siege, famously enduring over a year of intense combat and hardship until liberal forces, led by Dom Pedro IV, successfully defeated Miguelist troops.

• The liberal victory in 1834 resulted in Queen Maria II ascending the throne, solidifying constitutional monarchy, curtailing the political power of the Church and aristocracy, and definitively shifting Portugal toward parliamentary governance.

The First Carlist War in Northern Spain (1833–1839)

• In Spain, King Ferdinand VII’s death in 1833 sparked the First Carlist War, a conflict between supporters of Ferdinand's daughter, Isabella II, backed by liberals, and those favoring Ferdinand's brother, Carlos V (Don Carlos), representing traditionalist absolutism.

• Northern Spanish regions—particularly the Basque Country, Navarre, and rural areas of Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia—became major battlegrounds. Carlists attracted significant rural support, leveraging regional discontent toward centralization and threats to traditional fueros (regional privileges).

• The Carlist slogan "God, Country, and King" resonated strongly in conservative rural communities, although urban centers like Bilbao and Santander generally remained loyal to Isabella and liberal governance.

• The conflict concluded provisionally with the Convention of Vergara (1839), negotiated by the liberal General Baldomero Espartero and moderate Carlist General Rafael Maroto, preserving Basque and Navarrese fueros and promising their integration within the Spanish liberal framework, though tensions lingered unresolved.

Economic Developments: Early Industrialization and Commercial Expansion

Industrialization in Northern Spain

• Northern Spain, particularly the Basque Country and Cantabria, witnessed rapid industrial growth focused on iron mining, metallurgy, and shipbuilding. The development of ironworks around Bilbao and Santander laid foundations for significant future industrial expansion.

• Coal mining in Asturias began modestly but steadily, supplying fuel to emerging industrial enterprises, gradually transforming the regional economy toward industrial capitalism.

Portuguese Economic Reorientation

• Post-war economic recovery in northern Portugal focused on renewed maritime commerce, agricultural improvements, and early manufacturing industries around Porto and Lisbon, gradually reintegrating Portugal into European trade networks.

• British influence remained strong, reflected in port wine exports from Porto and textile manufacturing, stabilizing the economy after the disruptions of civil war.

Social and Urban Developments: Urban Growth Amid Rural Distress

Urban Expansion and Social Change

• Urban areas, particularly Porto, Lisbon, Bilbao, and Santander, grew significantly due to commercial and industrial opportunities. This attracted rural migrants seeking employment, causing rapid urbanization and increased social mobility but also deepening urban poverty and social tensions.

• The growing middle class in these cities embraced liberal and constitutional ideologies, strongly influencing local politics and cultural life.

Rural Distress and Social Tensions

• In Galicia, Asturias, northern León, and rural parts of Navarre, poverty persisted, aggravated by war disruptions and limited agricultural productivity. This fueled migration toward cities and overseas colonies (particularly Brazil and the Americas), significantly reshaping demographic patterns.

Religious and Cultural Developments: Liberal Reforms and Traditionalist Resistance

Ecclesiastical Reforms and Conflict

• Liberal victories in Portugal (1834) and Spain (1839) significantly impacted Church authority. Portugal officially dissolved religious orders (1834), confiscating monastic lands and curtailing Church privileges. Similar measures, albeit more limited, were initiated in Spain, setting the stage for future ecclesiastical conflicts.

• The suppression of religious orders and confiscation of church lands (desamortización) led to profound societal shifts, intensifying conflict between liberals and conservative religious elements, particularly in rural areas and among Carlists in Spain.

Cultural Expression and Romanticism

• Romanticism emerged as the dominant cultural movement, promoting national and regional pride through literature, art, and folklore. Prominent authors and artists explored historical themes and regional identities, fueling nationalist and regionalist sentiments, especially visible in Galicia, the Basque Country, and northern Portugal.

• The revival of regional languages (Galician, Basque) and cultural traditions expressed resistance to centralization, asserting distinctive regional identities amid national conflicts.

Legacy and Significance

The era from 1828 to 1839 marked a critical turning point for Atlantic Southwest Europe:

• Political Liberalization and Constitutionalism: Liberal victories in Portugal and Spain definitively advanced constitutional governance, though conservative resistance persisted, sowing seeds for future conflict.

• Economic Modernization and Industrial Growth: Early industrialization, particularly in the Basque Country and Cantabria, significantly transformed regional economies, initiating sustained economic growth and industrial development.

• Strengthening of Regional Identities: Intense conflicts reinforced distinct regional identities and autonomy claims, particularly through the Carlist Wars in northern Spain, highlighting enduring tensions between centralizing national governments and local traditions.

Ultimately, these developments laid foundational structures for modern state formation, industrial economies, and ongoing struggles over regional autonomy, deeply influencing subsequent historical trajectories across Atlantic Southwest Europe.

The Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) – The Liberal Victory and the Restoration of the Constitutional Charter

Following Pedro I’s abdication of the Brazilian throne in 1831, tensions in Portugal erupted into full-scale civil war between liberal constitutionalists, led by Pedro, Duke of Braganza, and absolutists (Miguelists), who supported Dom Miguel's claim to the throne. The war ended with a liberal victory in 1834, leading to the restoration of the Constitutional Charter.

Pedro’s Return to the Fight for Portugal (1831–1832)

• Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne in favor of his son, Pedro II, in 1831 and sailed for Britain before organizing a military expedition to reclaim Portugal for liberal rule.
• By March 1831, he established a government-in-exile in the Azores, a key liberal stronghold.

The Siege of Porto (July 1832 – August 1833)

• In July 1832, Pedro’s forces landed in Porto, which soon became the center of liberal resistance.
• The absolutists (Miguelists) besieged Porto, attempting to crush the liberal stronghold.
• Despite being encircled for over a year, the liberals held their position, waiting for an opportunity to break the stalemate.

The Turning Point – The Capture of Lisbon (1833)

• In June 1833, still surrounded in Porto, the liberals launched a bold counteroffensive:
  • The Duke of Terceira led a force to the Algarve, a key absolutist-controlled region.
  • At the same time, a liberal naval squadron defeated the Miguelist fleet near Cabo São Vicente, securing naval superiority.
• Terceira landed at Faro and marched north through the Alentejo, capturing Lisbon on July 24, 1833.

Final Campaign and the End of the War (1834)

• With Lisbon in liberal hands, the Miguelists lifted their siege of Porto and marched south in a final attempt to defeat Pedro’s forces.
• However, they were decisively defeated at Évora-Monte.
• On May 26, 1834, peace was declared:
  • Dom Miguel was exiled permanently from Portugal, never to return.
  • Pedro restored the Constitutional Charter, reestablishing constitutional monarchy in Portugal.

Conclusion – Liberalism Triumphs in Portugal

• The Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) ended absolutist rule, ensuring that Portugal would be governed by a constitutional monarchy.
• Pedro’s victory secured the throne for Queen Maria II, his daughter, under the principles of the Constitutional Charter.
• The war reflected the larger 19th-century struggle between absolutism and liberalism in Europe, marking a decisive moment in Portuguese history.

Pedro’s final triumph over Miguel ensured that Portugal remained on a liberal constitutional path, shaping the country’s political development for decades to come.

Portugal's Constitutional Charter of 1826 – A Compromise Between Absolutists and Liberals

Portugal’s Constitutional Charter of 1826, granted by King Pedro IV (Emperor Pedro I of Brazil), was an attempt to reconcile absolutists and liberals by giving both factions a role in government. Unlike the radical Constitution of 1822, which had severely limited monarchical power, the Charter sought a balance between royal authority and constitutional governance.

Key Features of the Constitutional Charter

The Constitutional Charter established four branches of government, distinguishing it from the more rigid three-branch model of classical liberalism.

1. The Legislature – A Bicameral System

• Chamber of Peers (Upper Chamber)

  • Comprised of life and hereditary peers and clergy.
  • Members were appointed by the king, ensuring aristocratic and clerical influence in government.

• Chamber of Deputies (Lower Chamber)

  • Consisted of 111 deputies, elected to four-year terms.
  • Elected indirectly—local assemblies (themselves elected by property-owning taxpayers) selected deputies.
  • This ensured political power remained with the propertied classes, excluding lower-income citizens from voting rights.

2. Judicial Power

• Exercised by independent courts, maintaining a separation of powers with oversight from the monarchy.

3. Executive Power

• Held by the ministers of government, who administered state affairs under the king’s authority.

4. Moderative Power

• Granted exclusively to the king, giving him an absolute veto over all legislation.
• Allowed the monarch to intervene in legislative and judicial matters, making the king the ultimate arbiter of governance.

Significance – A Conservative Constitutionalism

• Unlike the radical democratic model of the Constitution of 1822, the Charter retained significant monarchical authority, making it more palatable to absolutists.
• It created a constitutional monarchy with aristocratic influence, preventing full parliamentary control over government.
• This system was similar to the British constitutional model, but with a stronger monarchical presence.

Impact – A Fragile Compromise

• The Charter failed to fully reconcile liberals and absolutists, as neither faction was entirely satisfied.
• Absolutists still favored direct monarchical rule, while radicals sought a more democratic constitution.
• The political instability of the 1830s and 1840s showed that the Charter, while an attempt at compromise, could not fully resolve Portugal’s ideological divisions.

Conclusion – The Charter as a Middle Path

The Constitutional Charter of 1826 was a landmark attempt to blend monarchy and constitutionalism, providing a legal framework that lasted (with interruptions) until 1910. Though it avoided the extremes of absolute monarchy and radical democracy, it failed to prevent civil conflict, leading to further struggles between moderates, radicals, and royalists throughout the 19th century.

The Liberal Resistance to Miguel’s Usurpation (1828) and the Five Years of Repression

When Miguel declared himself absolute king of Portugal in 1828, the liberals did not accept his usurpation without a fight. His seizure of power violated the Constitutional Charter of 1826 and directly threatened the rights of Queen Maria II and her supporters.

The Liberal Rebellion Begins (May 18, 1828)

• On May 18, 1828, the garrison in Porto, Portugal’s most liberal city, declared its loyalty to Pedro IV, Queen Maria II, and the Constitutional Charter.
• The rebellion quickly spread to other cities, as liberals rose up against Miguel’s absolutist rule.
• However, Miguel’s forces moved swiftly to crush the resistance, using the army and police to suppress uprisings across Portugal.

Miguel’s Crackdown – Thousands Arrested or Exiled

• Many liberal officers, politicians, and intellectuals were arrested as Miguel tightened his grip on power.
• Thousands of liberals fled to Spain and Britain, where they sought foreign support for their cause.
• Some exiles regrouped in the Azores, which remained one of the few strongholds of liberal resistance.

The Five Years of Repression (1828–1833)

• Miguel’s reign became known for severe political persecution, with mass arrests, censorship, and executions of liberals.
• Portugal was ruled by absolutist policies, undoing the reforms that had been introduced under the Constitutional Charter of 1826.
• The press was censored, and political opposition was silenced, making Portugal a repressive absolutist state.

The Path to the Liberal Wars (1828–1834)

• The exiled liberals, led by Pedro IV, began organizing military resistance, setting the stage for the Portuguese Civil War (1832–1834), also known as the Liberal Wars.
• With support from Britain, France, and Spain, Pedro IV would eventually return to challenge Miguel’s rule, leading to one of the most significant conflicts in 19th-century Portuguese history.

Conclusion – Repression and the Struggle for Constitutionalism

Miguel’s absolutist coup led to five years of political persecution, but the liberal opposition did not disappear. Instead, they regrouped in exile and prepared for war, ensuring that the struggle between absolutism and constitutionalism would soon escalate into a full-scale conflict.

The Death of Pedro IV and the Political Struggle Between Moderates and Radicals (1834–1836)

After securing victory for the liberals in the Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834), Pedro IV (Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) died on September 24, 1834, less than three months after his triumph. His fifteen-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória, was proclaimed Queen Maria II of Portugal (r. 1834–1853), but her reign was immediately plagued by political divisions among the victors.

Liberal Divisions – Moderates vs. Radicals

Although the liberals had defeated the absolutists, they were not united:

• Moderates (Charterists)

  • Supported the Constitutional Charter of 1826, which established a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature.
  • Represented noble elites, military leaders, and conservative liberals.
  • Favored a gradual approach to reform.

• Radicals (Setembristas)

  • Advocated for a return to the more democratic Constitution of 1822.
  • Represented urban middle-class liberals, intellectuals, and reformists.
  • Sought stronger parliamentary power and more social and economic reforms.

Frequent Government Collapses (1834–1836)

1. The Duke of Palmela’s Moderate Government (1834–1835)

   • The first government of Maria II was led by the moderate Duke of Palmela.
   • His administration collapsed in May 1835, unable to resolve economic problems or manage liberal divisions.

2. The Duke of Saldanha’s Short-Lived Rule (1835–1836)

   • In May 1835, the Duke of Saldanha took over but also failed to maintain stability.
   • By May 1836, his government collapsed, leading to another crisis.

The Radical Takeover – The Setembrista Revolution (September 1836)

• In July 1836, radical deputies were elected from Porto, advocating for a return to the Constitution of 1822 as a solution to Portugal’s economic crisis.
• When they arrived in Lisbon, they were met with large pro-radical demonstrations, further pressuring the government.
• On September 9, 1836, the moderate government collapsed, and the radicals, led by Manuel da Silva Passos, took control.
• The Constitutional Charter of 1826 was annulled, and the Constitution of 1822 was reinstated until it could be revised by a constituent Cortes.

Conclusion – Portugal Enters a Period of Political Instability

The victory of the liberals in 1834 did not bring stability, as internal divisions between moderates and radicals led to constant political upheaval. The radical Setembristas now controlled the government, but their rule would soon face conservative opposition, leading to further conflict and instability in Portugal’s political evolution.

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.