La formación de la elite liberal burguesa : Alianzas matrimoniales y desamortizaciones

Abstract

Through the analysis of a representative case, that of the Jamily Santa Cruz, this paper is aimed at the description of the rise and consolidation of the liberal élite in the province oj Logroño. With that purpose, the primitive accumulation of capital, the investment in the province and the family strategies followed in arder to get a definitive establishment are studied. These, in particular, mainly consist of matrimonial alliances and a strong participatíon in the succesivo processes of "desamortización" (sale of Church lands). Both strategies seek a doublefold purpose: on the one hand, the attainment of a privileged social space, and, on the other, the increasing of the family's economic potential.