View of America

Created by- Michael Medina

View of America
Alexis de Tocqueville was a citizen of France, sent to observe
American prisons, by the French government in the 1830s. While
in America, he began a journal, commenting on the
exceptionalism of America and its citizens.
He focused on five characteristics: Liberty, Equality,
Individualism, Popular Sovereignty and Laissez-Faire.
Our class assignment was to select an era of American History,
after the Civil War, and look at it through de Tocquevilles eyes.
The Civil Rights Era
The Civil Rights Movement began in the early 1950s and went
through the late 1960s
I have selected the Civil Rights Movement because it was a period
in American history that portrayed the peoples desire for change
and true equalities. It was a period in time in which people fought
for what they believed even trough oppression and brutality.
Liberty
The definition of Liberty, according to de Tocqueville, was that as
a result of the people of the United States faith it has helped
strengthen the belief in individual rights. That only till then, will
people be truly devoted to rule of law.
During the Civil Rights Era, liberty was the main reason African-
Americans, along with other minorities, were fighting for. That
people regardless of race, color and orientation should have the
same rights as anyone else along with fair treatment.
Women cheering after the
establishment of the 24th Amendment
Equality
According to de Tocqueville, equality is a society of equals. A
society in which everyone regardless of physical or ethical
differences are indeed equal.
Unfortunately, during the Civil Rights Era, equality in the United
States was almost nonexistent. Blacks were constantly segregated
from whites and were treated unfairly by society and even by the
government.
Freedom Riders bus is burned
by the KKK in Alabama
Blacks being hosed for peaceful
protesting
Police ordering dogs to
attack black protesters in
Birmingham, Alabama
Victims of the 16th Street
Baptist Church bombing in
Birmingham, Alabama
Individualism
In de Tocquevilles definition, individualism is the belief that
people could rise in society regardless of hereditary distinction.
In the Civil Rights Era, most African-Americans were born into
poverty. Unfortunately, many were not able to rise in society
as de Tocqueville stated due to the lack of rights and
opportunities that were available to African-Americans.
Man protesting lack of job opportunities for
blacks
Men placing signs for March on
Washington Jobs
Popular Sovereignty
In de Tocquevilles words, Popular Sovereignty is when the people
of a society participate in politics with the intention of holding
forever lasting peace and prosperity in the country.
During the Civil Rights Era, there was barely any evidence of
Popular Sovereignty in the United States. The reason being, that
African-Americans tended to be unable to withhold a position in
any type of government body or vote until 1964 in which the US
government passed The Voting Rights Act of 1964.
Edward Brooke- First
African-American elected into
the US Senate in 1966
Thurgood Marshall- First African
American appointed to the
Supreme Court of the United
States Shirley Chisholm- First African-
American woman elected to U.S.
House of Representatives
Laissez-Faire
According to de Tocqueville, laissez-faire was the belief in which
the federal government took hands-off the economy. He stated
that if Americans relied heavily on the government, then the
country would be unable to function properly.
By the time of the Civil Rights Era, the United States has opted to
move away from this idea and now has some regulation on what
businesses can or cannot practice.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stated
that businesses could not discriminate
due to race, color, sex, or religion
Words from de Tocqueville
I know of no country
in which there is so
little independence
of mind and real
freedom of discussion
as in America
-Alexis de Tocqueville
What de Tocqueville is
trying to say, is that
there exist no place in
which people think for
themselves as they do
here in America. He
also states that in
America, freedom is
and will always be a
topic of conversation.
Alexis de Tocqueville
My Thoughts on de Tocquevilles Views
The face of America has gone through many changes ever since
the death of de Tocqueville. But even so, I believe that de
Tocqueville will still view America with as much appreciation and
enthusiasm as he did when he first arrived on shore. Although
some of de Tocquevilles theories on what makes US democracy
successful have long been eradicated, like laissez-faire for
example, America is still an exceptional country. In fact with the
eradication of laissez-faire and with true equality, American
democracy is now better than ever before. If de Tocqueville was
still in this world, I am absolutely sure that he will agree.