The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln

Between the time of Thomas Jefferson and that of Abraham Lincoln, the elitist assumptions and institutions of the infant republic gave way to far broader conceptions of popular sovereignty and to new forms of mass political participation, in and out of elections. The Rise of American Democracy is the story of this astonishing change and the human conflicts, accommodations, and unforeseen events that it comprised. This abridged version of the original edition covers all of the events and themes of the longer work in a more concise, one-volume presentation. At approximately half the length, it is designed for use in American history courses.