The Growth of the English Constitution from the Earliest Times

"The Growth of the English Constitution from the Earliest Times" by Edward A. Freeman is a historical account written in the late 19th century. This work explores the evolution of the English Constitution, tracing its roots back to ancient Teutonic institutions and their significance to contemporary governance. The author's primary focus is on how these early political systems influence modern political principles and structures. The opening of the text introduces the author’s intent to discuss the enduring legacy of ancient democratic practices, using the examples of the Swiss Cantons of Uri and Appenzell, which retain elements of their early democratic assemblies. Freeman emphasizes the importance of understanding these traditions to appreciate the development of England's constitutional history. He critiques the notion that modern institutions are entirely disconnected from their historical foundations, aiming instead to illuminate the continuity and adaptation of political systems from antiquity through the ages, leading to the formation of the modern English state. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edward Augustus Freeman was an English historian, architectural artist, and Liberal politician during the late-19th-century heyday of Prime Minister William Gladstone, as well as a one-time candidate for Parliament. He held the position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, where he tutored Arthur Evans; later he and Evans were activists in the Balkan uprising of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1874–1878) against the Ottoman Empire.