James Simpson

Landlords’ power often declined from the late 19th century, as tenants gained new rights, and finally the possibilities to buy the land they worked. However, in some cases, such as with the rabassa morta contract in Catalonia, tenant rights did not lead to a “defeat of the rentier”, nor to any fundamental changes to landlords’ dues. In Catalonia, landowners actively participated in wine production, and therefore opposed any reforms that threatened their share of the grape harvest that sharecroppers paid, explaining the bitter conflicts associated with the contract between 1890 and 1936.