Description: Defining the Victorian Nation offers a fresh perspective on one of the most significant pieces of legislation in nineteenth-century Britain. Hall, McClelland and Rendall demonstrate that the Second Reform Act was marked by controversy about the extension of the vote, new concepts of masculinity and the masculine voter, the beginnings of the women's suffrage movement, and a parallel debate about the meanings and forms of national belonging. Fascinating illustrations illuminate the argument, and a detailed chronology, biographical notes and a selected bibliography offer further support to the student reader.
Review Quotes: "Hall (Univ. College, London), McClelland (Middlesex), and Rendall (York) break the mold of traditional political history...by analyzing the Reform Act in the light of new political history...this book is a pioneering study that broadens our view of Victorian politics. Graduate students and scholars will find the book invaluable." Choice