Richard D. Heffner Livres

“An indispensable contribution to the understanding of our heritage.” – Robert A. Caro“This insightful collection will fascinate, delight, and challenge all who are interested in the progress of the American nation.”—Annette Gordon-ReedHere, in a single volume, are the documents (speeches, letters, tweets, Supreme Court decisions, and more) that have forged American history. This 11th edition is now updated with a new chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and the Biden presidency.Accompanied by interpretations of their significance by noted historian Richard D. Heffner and journalist Alexander B. Heffner, the important documents in this book    • The Declaration of Independence   • The Constitution of the United States   • Frederick Douglass’ “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?”   • The Monroe Doctrine   • The Emancipation Proclamation   • Woodrow Wilson’s War Message to Congress   • Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech   • John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address   • Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter from the Birmingham City Jail   • The National Organization for Women (NOW) Statement of Purpose   • Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision   • Documents related to September 11 and the Iraq War   • Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech   • Articles of Impeachment against Donald J. TrumpMore Than One Million Copies Sold!

<i>Democracy in America</i> has had the singular honor of being even to this day the work that political commentators of every stripe refer to when they seek to draw large conclusions about the society of the USA. Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat, came to the young nation to investigate the functioning of American democracy &amp; the social, political &amp; economic life of its citizens, publishing his observations in 1835 &amp; 1840. Brilliantly written, vividly illustrated with vignettes &amp; portraits, <i>Democracy in America</i> is far more than a trenchant analysis of one society at a particular point in time. What will most intrigue modern readers is how many of the observations still hold true: on the mixed advantages of a free press, the strained relations among the races &amp; the threats posed to democracies by consumerism &amp; corruption. So uncanny is Tocqueville’s insight &amp; so accurate are his predictions, that it seems as tho he were not merely describing the American identity but actually helping to create it.