Visions of Cádiz: The Constitution of 1812 in historical and constitutional thought

Abstract

This chapter examines ways the Spanish Constitution of 1812, also known as the Constitution of Cádiz, has been viewed in historical and constitutional thought. The document is a liberal constitution establishing constitutional rights, a representative government, and a parliamentary monarchy. It influenced ideas of American equality within the Spanish Empire, and its traces are observed in the process of Latin American independence. To these accepted views, one must add that the Constitution was a lost moment in Latin American constitutional development. By the immediate politicization of constitutionalism after 1812, the document marks the beginning of constitutional difficulties in the region.

Citation

Mirow, M.C. (2010), "Visions of Cádiz: The Constitution of 1812 in historical and constitutional thought", Sarat, A. (Ed.) Studies in Law, Politics and Society (Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 53), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 59-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1059-4337(2010)0000053006