America: Self and Society
America: Self and Society
Revolution, democracy, self-reliance, and social criticism in the American tradition.
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Step 1 · Still to readCommon Sense
Paine shows how political ideas gain force when they become plain speech.
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Step 2 · Still to readGeorge Washington's Farewell Address
Washington reflects on power after victory: how does a republic hold together?
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Step 3 · Still to readThe Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers build the machinery of power, restraint, and representation.
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Step 4 · Still to readDemocracy in America
Tocqueville sees both the promise and the danger of democratic equality.
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Step 5 · Still to readWalden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience
Thoreau withdraws in order to see more clearly what society asks of him.
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Step 6 · Still to readEssays
Emerson gives individual conscience a language of confidence and independence.
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Step 7 · Still to readThe Souls of Black Folk
Du Bois interrupts optimism by asking who is truly seen within that freedom.
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Step 8 · Still to readThe Age of Innocence
Wharton closes with a society that promises freedom while policing behavior closely.