The foundation of American characteristics of equality and liberty has been stressed by great writers like Alexis de Tocqueville and J. Hector St. John, whose work was significant in developing American study and uniqueness. The role and concept of exceptionalism are highlighted in the writing of Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” and Crevecoeur’s “Letter from an American Farmer,” whereby democracy shaped American society in promoting equality and liberty. The article “Democracy in America” by Tocqueville demonstrated the critical role of exceptionalism in shaping the democracy of American society. The writing gives detailed information regarding American society, its culture, and the government. The author argues that American democracy is special to the world, whereby the concept of exceptionalism has created a society that values liberty, egalitarianism, and individualism (De Tocqueville 2022). The American democracy is defined by its unique geographical features and historical developments that explain how the American society has achieved its rights to equality and liberty.
De Tocqueville argues that democracy has a critical role in shaping the values of the American people. One of the key contributions of democracy is creating a cohesive society that defines the roles, duties, and ethics of the community, which is critical in maintaining a diverse society (De Tocqueville 2022). To establish a cohesive society, the writer emphasized individualism, which encourages and motivates people to be responsible in taking care of themselves and actively take part in communal activities (De Tocqueville 2022). The ability to ensure self-care and active participation in communal activities promotes liberty that protects the freedom of individuals.
The writing of Crevecoeur’s “Letter from an American Famer” discusses the liberty and individualism of Americans. The author describes his life in America, discussing the nature of the American people. In his letter, the author describes America as a nation full of potential and opportunity, whereby people are destined to succeed by working hard and enjoying freedom in American society (de Crevecoeur 2021). American people’s lives in the 18th century were surrounded by broad cultural diversity and appealing landscapes. The author emphasized an individualism policy that ensures people are responsible for their own lives and the lives of their families. This is possible due uniqueness of the American political system, which is defined by democratic principles such as equality, which guarantees liberty to its citizens.
The work of Crevecoeur and Tocqueville established a movement in American studies that emphasized the distinctiveness of the United States and its emphasis on equality and liberty. The authors prioritized individualism and democracy, which shaped how Americans behaved, which was key in promoting work ethics. The authors valued democracy as an essential factor shaping societal cohesiveness in a diversified society, which promoted liberty and freedom (De Tocqueville 2022). The political system of the American people provided detailed information on how democracy worked and how democracy encourages individualism and personal responsibility, for example, through providing equal opportunities in civic participation. This provides personal responsibility to American society by ensuring people have equal opportunity in democratic exercises such as voting (de Crevecoeur 2021). This was critical in establishing the unique democracy that defined the political system of the American people as a system governed by equality and liberty.
Crevecoeur and Tocqueville argued that the success behind America’s growth was built by developing a work culture and hard work that made the American society practice personal responsibility and individualism. Success in American society is not built by being in a particular economic, political, or social class. Tocqueville argues that American society is created by self-reliance and developing individual initiative (De Tocqueville 2022). In addition, Crevecoeur cited real examples of ordinary people who succeeded due to using every opportunity they encountered and working hard. The author developed the idea that American society was a land of opportunity. From “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania,” it seems apparent that individuals of all specializations could succeed without the burden of economic or social status (de Crevecoeur 2021). This attracted many people to migrate to America since it was considered a country full of succession potential.
Tocqueville and Crevecoeur’s work significantly contributed to American democracy. The writing of Tocqueville described how the political system in American society was developed to integrate individualism and liberty. For example, the American political system emphasized the rule of law that protects people’s individual rights. This guarantees individuals the ability to pursue and develop their interests by being responsible in their lives (De Tocqueville 2022). It might be assumed that the writing of Crevecoeur, in turn, was written to express the vision of the American people, whereby work and ethical culture were considered a basis of success for the American people. This helped the American people to develop the ideology of equality in sharing opportunities that made the American society achieve its dream.
Given the exploration above, it seems reasonable to state that the writing of the selected emphasized individualism, American democracy, and great opportunities that shaped the thinking of the American people. American society has succeeded due to developing a work culture characterized by hard work and equality in sharing opportunities. The political system of American society has promoted equality and freedom. For example, the civic system offers equal opportunities that guarantee an equal chance to vote or participate in public debates. Hence, the American people can exercise their interests that give society its unique identity.
In conclusion, the works of Tocqueville and Crevecoeur launched tendencies in American studies that emphasized the distinctiveness of the United States by promoting equality and liberty. Individualism, American democracy, and vast chances that formed the mentality of the American people were stressed in the writing. The success of American society is attributable to the development of a work culture marked by hard labor and equitable opportunity sharing.
References
de Crevecoeur, J. Hector St John. 2021. “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British Colonies.” Open Anthology of The American Revolution. Web.
De Toqueville, Alexis. 2022. Democracy in America. Translated and edited by Reeve Henry. DigiCat.