The American Democrat Author:James Fenimore Cooper When The American Democrat was first published in 1838, Cooper's position as America's first major novelist obscured his serious contribution to the discussion of American principles and politics. — "Yet Cooper, " says H. L. Mencken, "was probably the first American to write about Americans in the really frank spirit...a simple, sound and sensibl... more »e tract, moderate in tone and extraordinarily astute in its conclusions."
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Convinced that the American political system was endangered by complacency, demagoguery, party propaganda, and the tyranny of public opinion, James Fenimore Cooper felt compelled to write this minor classic of American Political theory. He wrote in order to to express 'the voice of simple, honest and...fearless truth' on the peculiarities of the American system of government.« less