ABSTRACT
After six years of absolutism that had suppressed the Cádiz Parliament and the constitution in 1814, a new period of Spanish history was inaugurated in 1820 when the king finally signed up to the constitution after a military coup. During this period, known as the Liberal Triennium—the three-year liberal period (1820–1823)—the Parliament was restored and developed the liberal principles established in the constitution. Then, in 1823, French troops invaded Spain to restore absolutism and many liberals exiled to London, where they developed a productive intellectual activity. This chapter analyses the influence of The Wealth of Nations (WN) in the parliamentarian debates on commercial and monetary policies, public finances, and the writings of the liberals (journals, monographs, leaflets) during their British and Hispanic American exile. It also gives an account of the spread of the WN in Hispanic America.
