The Two Major Works on America During the 1800's and How We Relate Today

Grace Discher

Age 17

There were two major works on America and her people in the early-mid 1800’s. One of these was by a French aristocrat and historian, Alexis de Tocqueville. In the early 1800’s, de Tocqueville came to America to study the prison systems in the US, and he became so impressed by America and her people that he went back to France and wrote a book called Democracy in America.

De Tocqueville was not oblivious to the fact that America was a definite republic. Nevertheless, he saw that there were democratic tendencies in that nation, and from what he had observed, and he was a shrewd man, he believed that the whole direction of the world was heading towards democracy. Therefore, he found it profitable to write of Democracy in America rather than of “The American Republic.”

Now, De Tocqueville did not necessarily agree with the philosophies of democracy, rather, he was morally opposed to it, but he felt that if intelligent, principled men would learn and study such matters, rather than blindly opposing them, then when the time came, they would be able to moderate the course and impede the damage of democracy.

The other major writing of that time was by an immigrant, Van Holst. Unlike de Tocqueville, whose work was very favorable towards the Americans, Van Holst’s writing was unfriendly, for he had not been at all impressed by his experiences. Nevertheless, the almost prophetic description by Van Holst in how he felt the future direction of the country was heading is worth note.

Van Holst believed that the government was advancing towards centralization and totalitarianism. He believed that a highly centralized government had been created, and that with each administration it would move closer and closer towards big government.

We have come a long way towards fulfilling Van Holst’s mental picture of Future America. We are virtually in a state of economical Fascism, in which the government controls the economy, and we are swiftly moving towards complete totalitarianism.

This has been facilitated by some of the very things which de Tocqueville feared when he saw the spirit of democracy in America. Democracy allows for equality, and worth placed upon personal merit, rather than wealth, rank, or birth. This, however, can lead to an insistence upon equality which can be very dangerous, and de Tocqueville feared that it would lead to totalitarianism. One look at our country today will show how true the observations of these men were.