Re-reading the constitution

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 after the so-called 'linguistic turn', consolidating upon much of the most innovative work in recent years - particularly by younger scholars - as well as suggesting new ways of re-reading the traditional narratives of English political history.