With the 1812 Constitution Spain entered the official history of liberal constitutionalism, being one of its proclamations the equality of all citizens of all Spanish dominions. However, this idea of an equality apparently within reach of all habitants of its territories, did not go beyond its formal character. Its contents did not correct the various forms of exclusion as, for instance, the exclusion for racial motives. The debates at the Cortes de Cadiz reflect the influences of the racial theories then dominating science and, thus, the development of constitutional principles. The idea of citizenship as embodied in the 1812 Constitution was limited by the racial prejudice that impregnated 19th century law and, in present-day law, still exists.