The Well-Educated Mind Histories discussion

These are the writings, observations, and conclusions about democracy in the young nation of America, by French politician, Alexis de Tocqueville, when he visited, in 1831. It is amazing to me how much information he came away with in one year.

His intentions were first to study the American prison system, but he concluded by writing a very, very long work on democracy. He wrote about the benefits of democracy in hopes of helping his own country (and other countries in the same situation) abandon the aristocracy. And it wasn't only France he compared with America; he used England and Europe, in general - any nation that was still suffocating under the aristocracy.

Much of his study or questions centered on the issue of equality and liberty. He believed his findings supported his idea that a democratic society was the best situation for liberty and equality. But finding the best recipe - how much equality, how much liberty - would be something the citizens of a democracy would need to figure out.

I gave this four stars because, while I was grateful to finally be done with it, I know it is an important political work in the history of America, and maybe even the Western world.