The term "The Revolution" was widely used by both sides; the revolutionaries preferred to be called that, while the loyalists referred to them as revolutionaries as a way of delegitimizing the movement. Historians of the time and later also preferred this term as they considered it more appropriate. Some used the term "Rebellion," but it quickly fell out of use. The fact that all social classes fought made the term Revolution more popular over time.

The King

Since the reign of Henrique VIII (1464 - 1505), the power of the king entered a rapid process of consolidation. Henrique was the first to declare himself widely chosen by God to reign, and strongly believed in the divine right of kings. During his reign, Henrique rarely summoned the Cortes Gerais because he believed in the divine right, seeing himself as the sole source of decisions in the kingdom, thus not needing the Council of Nobles.

The idea of divine right persisted and became increasingly popular among the kings who followed Henrique VIII. His son, Henrique IX (1505 - 1520), never throughout his reign summoned the Cortes Gerais and approved tax increases multiple times, which previously required Cortes approval. Miguel VI (1520 - 1531) and Miguel VII (1531 - 1542) would have even more absolutist reigns, extensively interfering in religious matters and in all matters of the kingdom, from the most important to the least. The kings became almost omnipresent figures who acted in all areas of society. The nobility was often weakened by the creation of new taxes for them, the church had its lands confiscated, and the bourgeoisie had no political rights and were constantly taxed.

During the reign of Felipe VII (1542 - 1562), the power of the king reached almost unsustainable levels. In 1546, the Sword Revolt erupted, where some nobles revolted against the power of the king, but it would be quickly suppressed in 1547. The phrase "The king sees everything, the king knows everything" was widely spread in the kingdom as a way to intimidate those who opposed royal power.

Felipe VII

The Nobility

The General Courts were the source of legislative power in the country, having existed since the foundation of the kingdom, created by Laudeonor I to assist him and help him in the affairs of the kingdom. The courts were not permanent and were convened by the kings, but for centuries they were convened frequently; the kings convened the courts at least twice a year.

The courts assisted the kings in the creation of laws and taxes, being necessary for their approval. The kings respected the institution of the Courts, which occasionally led to mutual respect, as the courts never rebelled against the kings. Historical examples prove just the opposite; the General Courts supported the monarchs in various wars, both civil and against other kingdoms. But since the fifteenth century, the relationship between the sovereign and the courts became troubled, from their non-convocation to the approval of laws and taxes without their prior authorization, culminating in the dissatisfaction of the nobility, which would increasingly be bothered by future monarchs that would emerge from the fifteenth century onwards.

The Courts were composed of nobles from both the high nobility and the low nobility, making them a source of great power since the wealthiest and most powerful men, both militarily and economically, were gathered there. The agnatic heads of each noble family were entitled to a seat in the courts. The non-convocation of the Courts was seen by them as humiliating, and several letters of disapproval were sent to the monarchs over the years. Some rebellions occurred as a result of the Courts, such as William's Rebellion (1422 - 1426), the Seven Weeks' War (1437), The Petition (1456 - 1462), but all ended quickly due to lack of support from the nobility for the most part, and also because these revolts were orchestrated in a disorganized manner and without an initial plan, leading to the King's Army quickly crushing them or always having numerical superiority.

But in the period preceding the Revolution, they were marked by great unity among the nobility, largely due to the influence of the church, which began to hold grand meetings such as the Peacale meetings (1544), Zuevai (1546), Bogia (1549), and the great meeting of Santa Rosa (1556), which led the nobles to plan the revolution to overthrow royal power.

The General Courts