Though anticlericalism was a major theme during the Enlightenment, it was taken to more of an extreme than other countries. This was primarily due to state supported suppression. Charles III eventually was able get rid of the Jesuits. This may have been seen as an Enlightenment victory, but the expulsion of the Jesuits had crippled the higher education in Spain. .
The Enlightenment that took place in Portugal was similar to that of Spain. The zenith of Portugal's enlightened despotism centers around Marquis of Pombal. He, like Charles III, viewed the Jesuits as a drag on society. He created secular primary and secondary schools. The Marquis of Pombal lived in other countries during this enlightenment period and experienced what it was like in other countries and essentially wanted to bring what he had seen as good reform to Portugal. "When the papal nuncio protested, Pombal threatened to cut all links with the Vatican and establish an autonomous national church in semi-Protestant style."1(pg85) Ideas of Pombal's success in squashing the Catholic group spread to France and Spain where similar efforts were made. Being that he had lived in other countries that were "with the times," he decided to embrace the Enlightenment. When he returned to Portugal he was embarrassed of the way the Portuguese people live. Portugal, after all, was the least enlightened and fell behind the rest of Europe. Some of his greatest of his achievements came in the economic area. This involved the establishment of companies and guilds that regulated commercial activity. He also reformed the tax system in Portugal, which gained him enemies in the upper classes due to the new tax system spreading taxes throughout the different classes. Pombal also planned on creating state run schools, putting emphasis on mathematics and science. Other more radical changes involved medical and surgical procedures.
