The Role Of Democracy In Tocqueville's Migration To America

Democracy in America has been a guiding principle since the foundation of the country. Many over the years have commented on the structure and formation of democracy but more importantly the implementation and daily function within the democratic parameters that have been set. Alexis de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian born July 29, 1805. He is most famously known for his work Democracy in America. Democracy in America has been an evolving social and economic reform, and has continually changed since it’s founding.

Alexis de Tocqueville was born on July 29, 1805, in Paris, France. He was a historian, political scientist, and a politician, but he is best known as the author of Democracy in America. He began his political career as an apprentice magistrate, a role he was easily able to enter into due to his father’s role in French government. In the role of apprentice magistrate, Tocqueville witnessed the constitutional upheaval between the conservatives and liberals in France. With the inevitable decline of the aristocratic privilege on the horizon, he began to study the English political development. For Tocqueville, the July Revolution of 1830 and the resulting kingship of Louis Philippe of Orleans helped

De Tocqueville’s Democracy and Aristocracy Argument on Argument states the differences between an Aristocratic and Democratic way of living. The essay begins with the statement, “Among aristocratic nations, as families remain for centuries in the same condition, often on the same spot, all generations become, as it were, contemporaneous.” Giving the illusion that everyone lives in perfect harmony and is satisfied with their current social status. Everyone is content to work, not to improve his own well being, but to improve the wellbeing of his fellow man. By having the support of others, everyone meets their needs. Tocqueville writes “he will frequently sacrifice his personal gratifications to those who went before and to those who will come after him.” This quote gives the impression that people living in an aristocratic nation are unselfish and always willing to help. By always doing the same thing and always remaining at the same social status, people would always know what is depended on them. According to Tocqueville each social status the depends on the other and that is why Aristocracy remains strong like a chain.

And this belief is what motivated his deep interest in America, his visit persuaded him that America had achieved in a peaceful and natural way almost complete equality of conditions. He said if we understand America, we could not only understand what democracy means, but in a way even take a look into the world’s future. He wrote, “ 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.” (Democracy in America Volume I) He thought he saw the outlines of a new kind of society, which would slowly become that kind of society for the rest of the world. He saw at first hand democratized society. America became somewhat apprehensive of what they thought. America achieved its independence and many of the French supported America. Many Frenchmen learned their lesson when they came here and then they went back and began. Tocqueville saw the industrial revolution the enlightenment, and the

Alexis de Tocqueville delivers a unique observation and perspective on the development of American identity. As a distinguished aristocratic Frenchman, Tocqueville does not use this book as an argument for anything, but rather he uses it as an opportunity to inspect American character and its evolving identity. He treats democracy in the United States comprehensively in order to relate it to Americas history, national life, and perspectives toward freedom. Throughout this novel, Tocqueville targets two important areas of subject. First, he examines the structure of government and the institutions that help to maintain freedom. Secondly, he focuses

The founder’s thoughts are echoed from across the Atlantic Ocean as well by a French visitor to America and an English thinker. In his book Democracy in America published in 1835, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “Men do not change their characters by uniting with one another; nor does their patience in the presence of obstacles increase with their strength (Majority Rule, 2012).” Throughout his American travels in 1831 and 1832, de Tocqueville saw instances of minority oppression by the force of the majority, especially in regards to the rights of African-Americans. As he watched black people, entitled by law to vote, refuse to do so for fear of retaliation by the white majority standing nearby, de Tocqueville’s ideas of minority rights began to take shape, alluding to the federal protectionist opinion that he later formed; he wrote of the incident in Democracy in America, “Since the majority has the greatest

I chose these chapters to read and analyze because they dissect the mind of Tocqueville as he internally weighed the pros and cons of a democracy versus an aristocracy. He displays the positive aspects of a democracy, as well as the negative counterparts, along with what he approves of and what changes he could possibly make to better the American system of government. Coming from an aristocratic background, Tocqueville challenges himself to open his mind to the idea of a legislation ruled by the people. Initially he believes it to be inevitable, and eventually he embraces democracy in America. Tocqueville points out that a democracy is more for humanity than an aristocracy because a democratic government incorporates the interests of the poor

In Democracy in America, French sociologist, Alexis de Tocqueville perceived America as a “land of wonders” where

In History the American and French Revolution has been one of the greatest events that was a symbolism for reaching equality. The purpose of the American Revolution was to refrain from unfair taxes that was embedded on Americans from the British Parliament. While on the contrary the French Revolution main purpose was to overthrow tax-related issues, and hierarchical differences. Furthermore, in the course of this essay it will note the similarities each revolution had with one another, and why it occurred. Next, the essay will follow explaining in my opinion why the French Revolution took a turn for the worse compared to the American Revolution. Finally, the essay will mention Tocqueville, and the certain thing he found special about the

Humans naturally identify themselves with subgroups in a population, rather than an entire population. In past aristocracies and distinct social classes, people were separated by the ruling government, controlling the contact and enforcing a lack of equality with the wealthy and poor. While there are no laws preventing interaction between socio-economic classes, people tend to stick to the people they can relate to. Minneapolis, Minnesota is 58.42 square miles that encompasses 87 neighborhoods with a variety of income. Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America argues that due to the fact that everyone is equal in a democracy, people naturally divide into various small, select select circles based on common interests that will ultimately

Alexis De Tocqueville came to America, as an educated French aristocrat, to document what he believed was the future of Frances’ Democracy, from May 1831 to February of 1832. Alexis was educated as a lawyer who traveled to America with longtime friend Gustave de Beaumont to study the prisons and jails in America. Alexis also wanted to study the Democratic system in America because he believed France would be transitioning to a democratic country, so he believed by documenting the process in America he could help France become a better democracy. He never proposed France to accept democracy. Tocqueville wrote two volumes of his visit to America, written in French, and became a very popular published description of democracy in America. Some

"Democracy in America" was Alexis De Tocqueville's observation of American political character. His 1830s view on the laws are different now in the 21st century. De Tocqueville adds his view of property,power, and religion. He states that in 1830 "the democracy which governs American communities appears to be rapidly rising into power in Europe" thus became the idea behind Democracy in America. I figuratively sat down with Alexis De Tocqueville to talk about his views in Democracy in America and told him how different or similar some are to our democracy now.

Alexis De Tocqueville wrote Democracy in America while visiting the country from France. During his stay, he observed the government and its strengths and flaws. He recorded his findings and published them in Democracy in America. His book details many aspects of the American government, but is most notably known for his opinion on the tyranny of the majority and the potential despotism that could arise. Tocqueville’s concerns for the American government could be seen as addressed in the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.

In the book the Old Regime and the French Revolution, Tocqueville makes a very close analysis of the causes and antecedents of the revolution. At the first stage of the French revolution, Frenchmen's strong pursuit of liberty constitutes one distinguishing feature. However, the pursuit turned out in vain at last, as they sacrificed liberty for the sake of equality. People from different classes had shown their desire for liberty and tried to declare it through this revolution, but all failed and had to give in to the ever-growing pursuit of equality. The aristocratic liberty failed because they tried to maintain their privileges all the time; the middle class's pursuit of liberty was based on limited equality, which still could not satisfy

Tocqueville’s Democracy in America arose out of the desire to understand the underlying reasons behind the difference between French and American democracies. While both societies have had moved towards democracy, New England, which Tocqueville defines as America, seems to be much more successful in organising a stable democratic society. As such, Democracy in America was written with the motive of mapping out how American society was