Democracy in America

Lore & Background

In later letters, Tocqueville indicated that they used this official business as a pretext to study American society. They also briefly visited Lower Canada and Upper Canada. Tocqueville eventually extrapolated this work into Democracy in America, published in two volumes, the first in 1835 and the second in 1840.

The book examines the democratic revolution Tocqueville believed had been unfolding over several centuries, tracing it to factors such as the abolition of primogeniture, the growth of trade, and the royal sale of noble titles. He viewed this shift toward equality as a providential fact but did not accept democracy as inevitable, considering equality more just. The work holds a critical lens to early 19th-century U.S. socioeconomic affairs, noting the influence of Puritan religious history and American government on an entrepreneurial, egalitarian culture. Tocqueville also criticizes the moral, spiritual, and interpersonal costs of a society organized around social mobility and restlessness.

He believed the Puritans established the U.S. democratic social state of equality and contributed a synthesis of religion and political liberty. While praising the U.S. Constitution, he argued that American mores, or "habits of mind," play a more prominent role in protecting freedom than laws or circumstances. The book has dramatically impacted American and Western thought, especially in history, political science, and the social sciences.

Reader's Guide

Tocqueville's work examines the democratic revolution he saw as a 'providential fact' and an 'irresistible revolution,' though some critics note determinism in the book. Based on his correspondences, Marvin Zetterbaum concluded that Tocqueville never accepted democracy as determined or inevitable, but considered equality more just. Tocqueville believed a 'new political science' was needed to instruct democracy and regulate its movements.

The book's ambiguous use of 'democracy'—applying it to representative government, universal suffrage, or majority-based governance—has strongly associated the notion of democracy with the American system. Tocqueville's analysis covers Puritan founding, federal constitution, tyranny of the majority, religion, individualism, associations, and the situation of women, identifying the concept of separate spheres. The work's significance lies in its lasting influence on political thought and its role in shaping the democratic image of the United States and other Western countries.