Democracy in America (1836)

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville translated by Mansfield & Winthrop) I started this book sometime ago as part of my "US Famous Historical Documents/Books" read. This book seemed overwhelming; I'm not sure of de Tocqueville's thesis, so it was a bit difficult to figure out where he was going; and that is important to me when I read a non-fiction or historical document. My favorite parts were his observations on politicians, specifically Daniel Boone and Andrew Jackson, both of whom he found illiterate and unfit for office. de Tocqueville was also astounded at the "equality" he found in America. Everybody shaking hands, sitting in church together, and walking down the same street. Although in America in 1837 slaves, Native Americans, and women certainly were not equal, de Tocqueville certainly found it much different that the stratified classes of France. He also studied the US Constitution and warned against the tyranny of the majority. I think de Tocqueville got that wrong, in the US we have the tyranny of the minority. Although there was much repetition, I found this to be a thought provoking reading. 722 ( )

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There are so many ways to consider this book, I almost don't know where to start. First, one can think of it as a rich portrait of the United States in the 1830s, with a focus on political life but with social, cultural, and economic life examined as well. One can also appreciate this book as a view of the US from the perspective of a foreigner. Tocqueville flatters Americans quite often in this book, but he also makes numerous comparisons to European nations and points out what he sees as the fundamental differences in systems of government. One can also judge how well this work has stood the test of time and to what extent it still describes America today. I would argue that while many would like to say the country Tocqueville depicts is still in existence, he would also find the US much changed. The observances made about wealth, shared power with the people, and vast ambitions are starting to show their age - to the extent that Tocqueville might recognize different forces at work than those he focused on in this work. ( )

In a course I took the professor took about this book and it sounded very interesting. But when I finally read the book, it was hard to follow and I realized I liked the professor's explanation of the book better. ( )

REMINDER OF MY WEEKLY RADIO SHOW AT ROLLINS COLLEGE IN 1964 ( )