A French Aristocrat
In 1830 a French aristocrat, Alexis de Tocqueville, came to America to see the new society at work. Here he wrote about his views on the Democracy in America. He expresses what he finds positive about American society and what he considers negative about American society. Tocqueville believed the social condition of the Anglo-Americans is exceedingly democratic. His views on the democratic society are pessimistic and optimistic. Tocqueville says, “America, then, exhibits in her social state a most extraordinary phenomenon. Men are seen on a greater equality in point of fortune and intellect, or in other words, more equal in there strength, then in any other country of the world, or in any age of history has preserved the remembrance.”(pg.281) However, he continues to write about the political consequences of the social condition of the Anglo-Americans. Tocqueville believes that it is impossible that equality will not eventually find its way into politics.