Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America: Volume I is the opening half of his monumental study on the rise and character of American democracy. First published in 1835, this volume examines the origins of democratic government in the United States, exploring how geography, religion, local institutions, and the spirit of equality shaped a new social order. Tocqueville combines the keen eye of a political philosopher with that of a traveler, revealing how the pursuit of freedom and self-governance transformed American life. This first vintage paperback edition, a 1945 imprint of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and Random House, Inc., includes the historical essay and editorial notes by Phillips Bradley, illuminating Tocqueville’s enduring reflections on liberty, civic virtue, and the democratic experiment. Democracy in America: Volume I remains one of the most influential works of political thought ever written.
The Henry Reeve text as revised by Francis Bowen.
About the Author
Alexis de Tocqueville was a French political thinker, historian, and social commentator best known for his seminal work Democracy in America. Born in 1805, Tocqueville traveled to the United States in the early 1830s to study its political and social systems, producing groundbreaking observations that would shape the study of democracy and sociology. His ability to analyze complex social phenomena and articulate the challenges and advantages of democracy has made him a pivotal figure in political theory, influencing thinkers and leaders worldwide.
