1 Carlos IV and the end of reform Carlos IV ascended to the throne in 1788. A year later, in 1789, the French Revolution began . In Spain it was thought that Enlightenment ideas had led to the revolution , so the reforms were stopped . Censorship was also intensified to prevent revolutionar y ideas from reaching Spain . Carlos IV 's ministers, Floridablanca , Aranda and Godoy, had to deal with the crisis of the Royal Treasur y. To tr y to increase income, Godoy expropriated some Church property, which means that he sold lands where mortmain (manos muertas) had previously applied . However, the crisis did not improve. In foreign policy, Spain joined other countries in the war against revolutionar y France. The militar y stalemate led to Spain signing the Peace of Basel with France in 1795. This resulted in Spain surrendering its part of the island of Santo Domingo to France. Spain signed the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1796, and France and Spain became allies again . As a result, naval conf lict with Great Britain , at the time the world 's leading maritime power, worsened . In the course of the confrontation , the Spanish f leet was destroyed in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. These dif ficulties increased opposition to Carlos IV and his minister Godoy. In 1808, Carlos IV abdicated in favour of his son , Fernando VII. List some measures taken by Carlos III to transform the country. Think critically. How effective were the measures? Did they modernise the country? Why do you think this? Compare the reigns of Carlos III and Carlos IV. What differences do you notice between them? Explain what the Societies of Friends of the Country were. What was their role in the Spanish Enlightenment? Why did Spain fight revolutionary France if the monarchs of both states belonged to the same dynasty? Explain your answer. K E Y Q U E S T I O N S Explain the ideology of a Spanish Enlightenment thinker The Spanish Enlightenment barely questioned the Old Regime. There were important academies, such as the Royal Academy of Histor y (1735), and the Economic Societies of Friends of the Countr y. Here, groups of Enlightenment thinkers met to stimulate the economy of their provinces and to promote technical education . Enlightenment thinkers in Spain included Friar Benito Feijoo, Josefa Amar y Borbón, the Count of Aranda, Floridablanca, Campomanes and Jovellanos. B E A H I S T O R I A N 21. Portrait of Melchor Gaspar de Jovellanos, by Francisco de Goya 20. Porcelain made in the Real Fábrica del Buen Retiro, in Madrid Select a person from the Spanish Enlightenment and research them. Compare several reliable sources of information. Write down the ideas the person supported and the works and projects they undertook. Produce a summary of their main ideas. Imagine you are the person. Give an account of your Enlightenment ideas. Your turn 25
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