Democracy in America
1835 · 19th Century
Democracy in America was a landmark work written by French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville after his travels in the United States in 1831-1832. Published in two volumes (1835 and 1840), it provided a profound analysis of American society, politics, and culture, focusing on equality as the defining characteristic of American democracy. The book became one of the most influential political texts about the United States and remains a classic work of political science and sociology.
Key Figures
Andrew JacksonAlexis de TocquevilleGustave de Beaumont
Locations
Paris, FranceUnited States of America
Topics
politicsliteraturephilosophy
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The constitutional framework Tocqueville traveled to study in 1831 — federalism, judicial review, local self-governance — provided the direct subject matter of Democracy in America U.S. Constitution Ratified
The French Revolution failure to establish stable democracy motivated Tocqueville to study why American democracy succeeded where France had not Storming of the Bastille
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