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The Liberal State is the historical period in Costa Rica that occurred approximately between 1870 and 1940. It responded to the hegemonic dominion in the political, ideological and economic aspects of liberal philosophy. It is considered a period of transcendental importance in Costa Rican history, as it's when the consolidation of the National State and its institutions finally takes place. The arrival of the Liberals in power meant a profound change that affected all the essential aspects of Costa Rican politics,
economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with t ...
,
society A society is a Social group, group of individuals involved in persistent Social relation, social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same Politics, political authority an ...
and
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...
. During this stage of national history, the development of a
capitalist economy Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...
based on an agro-export model allowed Costa Rica its insertion in the world market and the generation of the necessary resources to develop its institutions and create infrastructure works, the most significant being the railroad to the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
. The consolidation of
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
exports first, in the mid and late nineteenth century, and later those of
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry (botany), berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, Cooking banana, bananas used for ...
, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as engines of national development, will generate a series of cultural changes that will give the Costa Rican nation much of its current physiognomy. The consolidation of an agro-export bourgeoisie allied to foreign capital also triggered a series of social changes that will impel the
working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...
to fight for a series of
social reform A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary m ...
s that will be consolidated towards the end of the period.


Development of the Liberal State 1870 - 1929

In 1870,
Jesús Jiménez Zamora Jesús María Ciriaco Jiménez Zamora (June 18, 1823 – February 12, 1897) was President of Costa Rica on two occasions: 1863 to 1866, and 1868 to 1870. He was popularly elected in 1863, but dissolved Congress two months into his term of offic ...
was overthrown by Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez, who called a new National Constituent Assembly to draft a new
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princip ...
in 1871, this being the longest running carta magna in the history of the country until 1949. Guardia abolished the death penalty, the
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts ...
and set the presidential term in four years. In 1876 Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz was elected, with Guardia as head of the army and always having control of the country, taking power again in 1880. Guardia led a tough but progressive government. The concession for the construction of the first railway to the Atlantic began, commissioned to the American engineer
Minor Cooper Keith Minor Cooper Keith (19 January 1848 – 14 June 1929) was an American businessman whose railroad, commercial agriculture, and cargo liner enterprises had a major impact on the national economies of the Central American countries, as well as on th ...
, which ultimately also unleashed the exploitation of bananas as an export resource. At this time the first massive immigrations of
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
,
Jamaicans Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed a ...
and
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...
to work in the construction of the railroad begin. Guardia died in office and was succeeded by
Próspero Fernández Oreamuno Juan Primitivo Próspero Fernández Oreamuno (July 18, 1834 – March 12, 1885) was President of Costa Rica from 1882 to 1885. Fernández studied philosophy at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala before embarking on a military caree ...
, who prepared the country for an eventual war against the intentions of Guatemalan General
Justo Rufino Barrios Justo Rufino Barrios Auyón (19 July 1835 – 2 April 1885) was a Guatemalan politician and military general who served as President of Guatemala from 1873 to his death in 1885. He was known for his liberal reforms and his attempts to reu ...
, to reunify Central America by force, but with the death of Barrios war was avoided. In his government new civil, military and fiscal codes were drafted. Fernandez also expelled from the country, in 1884, the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, together with Bishop Bernardo Augusto Thiel, accusing the clergy of having political interference. Upon the death of Fernandez in office, the government passed to
Bernardo Soto Alfaro Ramón Bernardo Soto Alfaro (12 February 1854 – 28 January 1931) was President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) Pre ...
, who dedicated his management to the cultural and material development of the country. During his government, the work of Mauro Fernández Acuña, who founded the Normal School for teacher training, signed the General Law of Common Education, which expanded secondary education, as well as the foundation of the Liceo de Costa Rica, the Institute of Alajuela and the Superior School of Ladies between 1887 and 1888, and the closure of the University of Santo Tomás. In 1887, the
National Museum of Costa Rica The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is the national museum of Costa Rica, located in the capital of San José. It is located at Calle 17, between Central and Second Avenue, Cuesta de Moras. It moved to its current location in 1950.civil marriage A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular. History Every country maintaining a p ...
and
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
were introduced, as well as the secularization of cemeteries. During the government of Soto, the
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
was established in the country and the national lottery was created to finance hospitals. After the elections of 1889, the government of Soto tried to ignore the result that gave the victory, overwhelmingly, to José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón. On November 7 of that year, the entire population, under the leadership of Rafael Yglesias Castro, rose up in favor of Rodríguez's electoral triumph in the first civic and popular day of Costa Rican history, so that day is remembered as the Day of the Costa Rican Democracy. Soto preferred to depart from power rather than repress the population, handing over the government to Dr. Carlos Durán Cartín, first appointed, who six months later gave the government to Rodriguez. The government of Rodríguez Zeledón was characterized by arbitrary actions in the exercise of its functions. During his government the monument to
Juan Santamaría Juan Santamaría Rodríguez (August 29, 1831 – April 11, 1856) was a drummer in the Costa Rican army, officially recognized as the national hero of his country for his actions in the 1856 Second Battle of Rivas, in the Filibuster War. He ...
(1891) was inaugurated. He was succeeded by Rafael Yglesias Castro, whose administration was dynamic and progressive. In its management, the National Monument of Costa Rica (1895), the School of Fine Arts and the National Theater (1897) were inaugurated, the
Gold Standard A gold standard is a Backed currency, monetary system in which the standard economics, economic unit of account is based on a fixed quantity of gold. The gold standard was the basis for the international monetary system from the 1870s to the ...
was implanted, the construction of the railroad to the Pacific began and many other works of progress were made. In 1899, the transnational company
United Fruit Company The United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was formed in 1899 fr ...
was founded, which came to control the production and export of bananas during the following century, and whose presence was the trigger for important social movements in the 20th century. During the second period of Rafael Yglesias, in 1900, the tramway was inaugurated in San José, the first Costa Rican novels were published (El Moto and Las Hijas del Campo, by Joaquín García Monge) and the first car was introduced, property of Enrique Carranza . In 1902, Yglesias was succeeded by
Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra (10 May 1844 – 15 April 1923) was a Nicaraguan-born President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government ti ...
, whose government was austere and with a severe saving. During this government, the current letter of the
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...
, written by
José María Zeledón Brenes José María Zeledón Brenes (April 26, 1877 – December 6, 1949) was a Costa Rican politician, poet, journalist and writer under the pen name Billo Zeledón. He is known as the author of the Costa Rica's national anthem. He was an orphan fr ...
, was adopted. In 1906 began the first term of
Cleto González Víquez Cleto de Jesús González Víquez (13 October 1858 – 23 September 1937) was, on two occasions, the President of Costa Rica, firstly as the 18th president in 1906 and lastly as the 26th president in 1928. ''Don Cleto'' was born in Barva, Her ...
, who expanded the pipe of San José and those of other cities. He was greatly concerned about public hygiene and municipal services. He built the building (already demolished) of the old National Library and finished the railway to the Pacific (1910). He was succeeded by
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno Romualdo Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (February 6, 1859 – January 4, 1945) served as president of Costa Rica on three occasions: 1910–1914, 1924–1928 and 1932–1936. He was one of the best known lawyers in Costa Rican history and a Univers ...
(1910-1914), under whose mandate a
direct vote Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...
was passed and the first high school graduate of the Liceo de Costa Rica, Ángela Acuña, graduated. In 1910, an earthquake destroyed the city of Cartago, which had to be rebuilt. In 1914
Alfredo González Flores Alfredo González Flores served as President of Costa Rica from 1914 to 1917. He was unable to complete his presidential mandate following a coup d'état on 27 January 1917, led by Federico Tinoco, his secretary for War and the Navy. González ...
ascended to power, who created the Banco Internacional de Costa Rica. During his government, important tax laws were enacted. He was overthrown in 1917 by his Minister of War, Interior and National Defense,
Federico Tinoco Granados General José Federico Alberto de Jesús Tinoco Granados (21 November 1868 – 7 September 1931) was a politician, soldier, and the Dictator of Costa Rica from 1917 to 1919. Biography Tinoco was born in 1868. On 5 June 1898 in San José, ...
, breaking with 27 years of political stability and constitutional order. The government of Tinoco was characterized by its repressive character and the constant violation of
civil and political rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
, as well as the abuse in the handling of public funds. There were several uprisings against him, such as the "Revolution of Sapoá", directed by
Julio Acosta García Julio Acosta García (23 May 1872 – 6 July 1954) served as 24th President of Costa Rica from 1920 to 1924. Early life Rafael Julio del Rosario Acosta García was born on 23 May 1872 in San Ramón, Alajuela, Costa Rica to Jesús de la Rosa G ...
, however, they were repressed harshly and even with the murder of several opposition leaders such as the journalist Rogelio Fernández Güell and the educator Marcelino García Flamenco in 1918. Tinoco's downfall began in 1919, when the population of the Great Central Valley - headed by educators such as Carmen Lyra, high school students and workers - took to the streets to protest against an exaction that the government intended to make in the salaries of the teachers, and proletarians. The demonstrations and parades ended up igniting "''La Información''", a newspaper at the service of the dictatorship. A few weeks later, the brother of the dictator and Minister of War José Joaquín Tinoco Granados, was murdered in the corner of his house by a stranger and a few days later, the dictator, his family and his closest people, were exiled from the country and established in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, leaving the country ruined and exhausted. After the interim governments of Juan Bautista Quirós Segura and Francisco Aguilar Barquero, the 1919 election would be won by
Julio Acosta García Julio Acosta García (23 May 1872 – 6 July 1954) served as 24th President of Costa Rica from 1920 to 1924. Early life Rafael Julio del Rosario Acosta García was born on 23 May 1872 in San Ramón, Alajuela, Costa Rica to Jesús de la Rosa G ...
. In 1920 the Costa Rican tenor Melico Salazar made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, with a work by
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
. In 1921 the country was involved in an armed conflict with the Republic of Panama known as the Coto War. In 1922, the International Bank was declared the only currency issuing entity, and one year later, Costa Rica would obtain an important judicial victory against
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
in the arbitration litigation ruled by the Taft Judgment. In 1924, Ricardo Jiménez is re-elected President of the Republic. During this period, he created the National Insurance Bank (now the National Insurance Institute) and the Mortgage Credit Bank. He promoted livestock and agriculture, created the School of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health. He initiated the electrification of the railroad to the Pacific and the construction of the new pier of
Puntarenas Puntarenas () is a city in the Puntarenas canton of Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Puntarenas canton, it is awarded the title of city, which is made from the Puntarenas, Chacarita ...
. In 1928
Cleto González Víquez Cleto de Jesús González Víquez (13 October 1858 – 23 September 1937) was, on two occasions, the President of Costa Rica, firstly as the 18th president in 1906 and lastly as the 26th president in 1928. ''Don Cleto'' was born in Barva, Her ...
is newly elected. During this administration the paving of the streets of San José began, improved some roads in the Central Valley, and finished the work of electrification of the railroad to the Pacific.


Crisis of the Liberal State 1929 – 1940

Costa Rica of the nineteenth century, liberal and believer in the ideology of progress, was built on the principle that, released from market forces, an economy based on agricultural exports would lead to civilization and prosperity for all. However, the context of world crisis embodied by the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
and then by the
Great Depression of 1929 The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
showed that the liberal project lacked an adequate response to the new economic situation, and before the collapse of the agro-export model (the fall of the prices of
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
and
bananas A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distingui ...
in the
international market Global marketing is defined as “marketing on a worldwide scale reconciling or taking global operational differences, similarities and opportunities in order to reach global objectives". Global marketing is also a field of study in general busi ...
), a new philosophy emerged: State intervention was necessary to maintain the good health of the national economy. At the same time, during the 1920s important advances were made in social matters (the implementation of the 8-hour day, the laws on tenancy, the law on accidents at work, the founding of the Bank of Insurance, the creation of Labor and Social Security Dispatches), from the founding of the Reformist Party by Father Jorge Volio Jiménez in 1923. In 1929, the government of Ricardo Jiménez had to face a difficult fiscal situation, which had spread to all the countries of the world as a result of the Great Depression initiated in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. In 1930, a large number of workers' movements broke out due to the economic crisis that the country suffers, which led to the founding of the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
in 1931 by
Manuel Mora Valverde Manuel Mora Valverde (27 August 1909 – 29 December 1994) was a communist and labor leader in Costa Rica. He was born in San José and helped to found the Workers and Farmers Party The Workers and Farmers Party was a Marxist political party ...
. This party would lead the banana strike of 1934 against the United Fruit Company, which constituted the first Central American banana strike, and its importance was that its scope was such that it placed the social issue at the forefront of the national debate and agenda. By 1932, Ricardo Jiménez ruled once again, during his third period, during which he took the pipeline from Ojo de Agua to the port of Puntarenas. He built large buildings for primary schools and numerous roads to various parts of the country, the National Stadium and the Post Office. In general, the periods of government of Cleto González Víquez and Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno are remembered as stable and of social peace. In 1936
León Cortés Castro León Cortés Castro (December 8, 1882 – March 3, 1946) was a Costa Rican politician. He served as President of Costa Rica from 1936 to 1940. During his term he introduced new bank reforms, supported banana plantations in the South Pacific re ...
would rise to power. Previously Minister of Development (then Ministry of Public Works and Transport) of the government of Ricardo Jiménez, his administration was distinguished by a dynamic and brilliant policy in the field of public works (built schools, airports, public buildings, roads and pipes). In addition, it adopted an economic development policy strengthening the
National Bank of Costa Rica Banco Nacional de Costa Rica or BNCR is the largest commercial bank in Costa Rica and the second largest in Central America by assets. It has a 49% stake in Banco de Costa Rica International Limited (BICSA), incorporated with the Republic of Pana ...
. During his government, the renowned doctor, Dr. Ricardo Moreno Cañas, would be murdered in mysterious circumstances creating a folkloric legend about his ghost. Finally, the coming to power reformist leader Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia in 1940 would end the Liberal State as such through a series of reforms known as the
Social Guarantees Social Guarantees were a series of progressive political reforms made in Costa Rica in the 1940s for the benefit of the working classes. They came about as a result of the alliance between various political and religious figures. Though a widesprea ...
of
Christian socialist Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...
inspiration and supported by the Communists, which would switch the country into a
Welfare State A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitab ...
that persists to date. These reforms were controversial and generated such a degree of tension that they were one of the causes of the outbreak of the Costa Rican Civil War of 1948, even so, the winning side led by
José Figueres José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
would maintain the reforms and would even own some influenced by
social democratic Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
and
Utopian socialist Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen. Utopian socialism is often ...
thinking as starting point of the
Second Costa Rican Republic Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
.


See also

*
First Costa Rican Republic The First Costa Rican Republic is the name given to the historical period between the proclamation of the Republic of Costa Rica in the 1848 reformed Constitution and the official decree by then President José María Castro Madriz on 31 Augus ...
*
Liberalism in Costa Rica Liberalism in Costa Rica is a political philosophy with a long and complex history. Liberals were the hegemonic political group for most of Costa Rica's history especially during the periods of the Free State and the First Republic, however, a ...
*
Olympus Generation The Olympus Generation (Generación del Olimpo), also called the ''900 Generation'', is the name given in Costa Rica to a group of intellectuals, teachers, historians, politicians and writers of liberal and positivist thought, whose ideas and ph ...


References

{{Costa Rica topics History of Costa Rica Politics of Costa Rica 19th century in Costa Rica Liberalism in Costa Rica