History of political Catalanism

The history of Catalan political nationalism, also referred to as Catalanism (Catalan: catalanisme), traces its origins to the early years of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain following the failure of the federalist system of the short-lived First Spanish Republic. However, its roots extend to the first half of the 19th century, driven by the cultural revival movement known as the Renaixença and opposition to the centralist model of the liberal Spanish state. Historian John H. Elliott notes that the term "Catalanism," previously associated with cultural movements, began to take on significant political meaning during the Revolutionary Sexennium (1868–1874). Specifically, the term "Catalanist" emerged around 1870–1871, used by members of Jove Catalunya and the journal La Renaixensa to signify ambitions beyond mere regionalism. As a political movement, Catalanism solidified in the late 1880s.