Re-reading the Constitution: New Narratives in the Political History of England's Long Nineteenth Century

Description

This volume of essays is about something which (for many) does not exist and yet which remains central to our understanding of English politics, history and national identity - the constitution. As European integration and demands for constitutional reform have once again moved the constitution to the centre of contemporary politics, an impressive team of contributors re-examines aspects of the debates over the meaning of the constitution and 'public opinion' in the long nineteenth century, from a sedition trial in the 1790s to the enfranchisement of certain women in 1918. With essays engaging with the histories of law, medicine and even with history as a discipline, the book takes stock of the current state of the new cultural history of English politics, consolidating upon much of the most innovative work in recent years as well as suggesting new ways of re-reading the traditional narratives of English political history.

"Re-reading the Constitutions is a vlauable book, one that advances our understanding of English political culture in the nineteenth century." Bruce L. Kinzer, Canadian Journal of History "...these essays are fresh, forceful, and well-informed. They contribute to a much-needed rethinking of the nature of the English constitution and nineteenth-century English politics." Martin J. Wiener, Albion "James Vernon's Re-reading the Constitution: New Narratives in the Political History of England's Long Nineteenth Century is a useful study that reminds us that the monarchy was a part of a wider conception of government." David Nash, Nineteenth Century Studies