Eminent Victorians on American Democracy by Frank Prochaska

Eminent Victorians on American Democracy by Frank Prochaska

Eminent Victorians on American Democracy surveys a wide range of British opinion on the United States in the nineteenth century and highlights the views of John Stuart Mill, Walter Bagehot, Sir Henry Maine, and James Bryce, who wrote extensively on American government and society. America was significant to them not only because it was the world's most advanced democracy, but also because it was a political experiment that was seen to anticipate the future of Britain. The Victorians made a memorable contribution to the continuing debate over the character and origins of democracy through their perceptive examination of issues ranging from the US Constitution to its practical application, from the Supreme Court to the party system. Their trenchant commentary punctures several popular American assumptions, not least the idea of 'exceptionalism'. To Victorian commentators, the bonds of kinship, law, and language were of great significance; and while they did not see the United States as having a unique destiny, they rallied to an 'Anglo-American exceptionalism', which reflected their sense of a shared transatlantic history. What distinguishes the Victorian writers was their willingness to examine the US Constitution dispassionately at a time when Americans treated it as a sacred document. Although the United States has changed dramatically since they wrote, much of their commentary remains remarkably prescient, if only because the American government retains so much of its eighteenth-century character. Today, when rival American priesthoods see the Constitution in the light of their particular altars, it is worth revisiting what leading Victorians had to say about it. It may come as a shock to American readers.

Frank Prochaskas new book is something of a manifesto* Robert Saunders, The English Historical Review. Volume 128, Issue 533. *
... a succinct, elegantly written and insightful piece ... a stimulating, erudite, and startlingly perceptive read. * Patrick M. Kirkwood, H-Empire. *
this admirably accessible study should realise Prochaska's aim of encoraging his readers to 'return to the writings of these exceptional thinkers'. * James Owen, History *
The book is well-written and thoroughly researched; it is accessible to a broad, educated audience; and it contributes valuably to the study of the American Constitution and its reception and influence abroad. * Alex Zakaras, History *

Frank Prochaska was born and educated in America but has lived much of his life in England. His previous books include The Eagle and the Crown: Americans and the British Monarchy (2008); Christianity and Social Service in Modern Britain (2006); The Republic of Britain 1760-200 (2000); Royal Bounty: The Making of a Welfare monarchy (1995); The Voluntary Impulse (1988), and Women and Philanthropy in Nineteenth-Century England (1980). He taught British history at Yale for many years and is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research, London University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780199640614
ISBN 10	0199640610
Title	Eminent Victorians on American Democracy
Author	Frank Prochaska
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2012-02-02
Number of pages	184
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.