The American Democrat: The Social and Civic Relations of the United States of America

Liberty, equality, and other topics are explored in James Fenimore Cooper's The American Democrat. Cooper argues that the natural disposition of all people is to be able to enjoy perfect freedom of action. It is a common error to suppose that the nation that possesses the mildest laws, or laws that impose the least personal restraints, is the freest. Cooper was a fierce democrat and a harsh cultural critic---much like Alexis de Tocqueville. This large print edition will resonate to the issues of this time almost as much as it did when originally published.