Spanish Constitution of 1812

Constitution of Cádiz
Original version of the Constitution kept in the Senate of Spain
Cortes of Cádiz
Long title Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy
Territorial extent	Spanish Empire
Passed	19 March 1812
Enacted	12 March 1812
Signed by	President of the Cortes of Cádiz 174 deputies 4 secretaries
Effective	19 March 1812 (first time) 1 January 1820 (second time, de facto) 1836 (third time, de facto)
Repealed	4 May 1814 (first time) April 1823 (second time) 18 June 1837 (third time)

The Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy (Spanish: Constitución Política de la Monarquía Española), also known as the Constitution of Cádiz (Spanish: Constitución de Cádiz) and as La Pepa,^[1] was the first Constitution of Spain and one of the earliest codified constitutions in world history.^[2] The Constitution was ratified on 19 March 1812 by the Cortes of Cádiz, the first Spanish legislature that included delegates from the entire nation and its possessions, including Spanish America and the Philippines. "It defined Spanish and Spanish American liberalism for the early 19th century."^[3]

With the notable exception of proclaiming Roman Catholicism as the official and sole legal religion in Spain, the constitution was one of the most liberal of its time: it affirmed national sovereignty, separation of powers, freedom of the press, free enterprise, abolished corporate privileges (fueros), and established a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. It was one of the first constitutions that allowed universal male suffrage, with some exceptions, through a complex indirect electoral system. It extended political rights for representation to Spanish America and the Philippines, a significant step for the demands of American-born Spaniards.^[4]

When King Ferdinand VII returned to power in 1814, he dissolved the Cortes and abrogated the constitution, re-establishing absolute monarchy. The constitution was reinstated during the Trienio Liberal (1820–1823) and again in 1836–1837 while the Progressives prepared the Constitution of 1837. It was an important model for later constitutions in Spain and Spanish America.^[5] However, during the interim, in 1815, a fresh wave of military conflict unfolded as Ferdinand VII dispatched Royalist troops to reclaim control of the Americas. This era is commonly labeled as the restoration or the re-conquest. Reflections on these terms, however, delve into differences between the two. All in all, being pondered whether this period should be viewed as a restoration of Spanish authority or a re-conquest of territories.^[6]