I confess that in America I saw more than
America; I sought the image of democracy
itself, with its inclinations, its character, its
prejudices, and its passions, in order to learn
what we have to fear or hope from its
progress.~ Alexis de Tocqueville
Democracy in America
Primary Source: Alexis de Tocqueville
A little history…..
• Who was Alexis de Tocqueville?
• An aristocratic Frenchman who came to the
U.S. in 1831 -- when he was only 25 years old
-- and later wrote Democracy in America, a
two-volume study of the American people
and their political institutions. The book is
frequently quoted by journalists and
politicans.
Travels in America
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Travels: May 9, 1831 - February 20, 1832April 2, 1831Tocqueville and Beaumont leave Le
Havre, France on the ship Havre
May 9 Arrive in Newport after 37 days at seaMay 10 Leave Newport for New York CityMay 11 Arrive in
New York; stay at a boarding house located at 66 BroadwayMay 29 Travel to Ossining, NY to visit Sing
Sing PrisonJune 7 Take a steamboat back to New York City, stopping in "Greenbugh on the Hudson"
along the wayJune 30 Leave New York City by sloop for YonkersJuly 1 Leave Yonkers by steamboat;
stop in Peekskill long enough to go hike "Anthony's Nose"; board the steamboat North America headed
for AlbanyJuly 4 Attend Independence Day parade and then leave Albany late at night by stageJuly
5 Arrive in UticaJuly 7 Leave Syracuse on horseback; stay near Fort BrewertonJuly 8 Leave Fort
Brewerton; explore Frenchman's IslandJuly 9 Travel to Auburn; visit the Auburn prisonJuly 12 Visit NY
Gov. Enos Throop at his farmhouseJuly 16 Travel by horseback to CanandaiguaJuly 17 Visit Ontario
County's almshouseJuly 18 Travel from Canandaigua to Bufflalo, stopping in Batavia along the wayJuly
19 Leave Buffalo for Detroit via steamboat OhioJuly 20 Stop (briefly) at Erie, PAJuly 21 Stop (briefly) at
ClevelandJuly 22 Arrive in Detroit and leave shortly thereafter on horseback for PontiacJuly 24 Leave
Pontiac enroute to SaginawJuly 26 Saginaw
In Search of Tocqueville
American Democratic Culture from a
French Traveler-Famous passages
Money
"...I know of no other country where love of
money has such a grip on men's hearts or
where stronger scorn is expressed for the
theory of permanent equality of property…”
Revolution
More famous quotes from Democracy
in America
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CONSTITUENTS
"The electors see their representative not only as a legislator for the state but also as the natural
protector of local interests in the legislature; indeed, they almost seem to think that he has a
power of attorney to represent each constituent, and they trust him to be as eager in their
private interests as in those of the country."
ASSOCIATIONS
"Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming
associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other
forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others."
NEWSPAPERS
"I am far from denying that newspapers in democratic countries lead citizens to do very illconsidered things in common; but without newspapers there would be hardly any common
action at all. So they mend many more ills than they cause."
SPEECHES IN CONGRESS
"There is hardly a congressman prepared to go home until he has at least one speech printed and
sent to his constituents, and he won't let anybody interrupt his harangue until he has made all his
useful suggestions about the 24 states of the Union, and especially the district he represents."