Práxedes Mateo Sagasta

Born July 21, 1827, in Torrecilla en Cameros; died Jan. 5, 1903, in Madrid. Spanish political figure.

In 1848, Sagasta joined the party of the progressives; during the revolution of 1854–56 he was head of the revolutionary junta in Zamora and a deputy to the Cortes. Sagasta opposed O’Donnell, who dissolved the Cortes in 1856; he fought on the barricades of Madrid in a detachment of the people’s militia. After the defeat of the revolution, Sagasta emigrated, but he soon returned to Spain. From 1866 to 1868 he was again in emigration. During the revolution of 1868–74 he headed the revolutionary regime in Cádiz. He subsequently headed various ministries, and from 1871 to 1872 he was premier. Later, as leader of the Liberal Party, Sagasta was premier in the periods 1881–83, 1885–90, 1892–95, 1897–99, and 1901–02.