Need recommendations. History of the development of American democracy.

[rhett o rick]

The influences of Thomas Paine, Hobbes, Jefferson, Franklin, etc.

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Let's see--

Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Bill of Rights of 1689...for a start.

[RoyGBiv]

2. You're looking for a book, I assume?

The Founding Fathers provides a good overview of the influence of the individuals you name.

This is largely a traditional narrative, but it's more in-depth than, say, a survey book would be.

If you're wanting a look at the history of the development of American democracy, you'll need to go further than that, though. These men were creating a republic and were by and large not democrats, at least not as we think of them.

Another title that might interest you is the similarly named Founding Brothers, which breaks away from the traditional narrative and more clearly shows the divergence of ideas that went into the shaping of the republic. It actually starts in 1804 with the Burr - Hamilton duel and then goes backwards.

And if you really want to start getting into how democracy as we define it began taking shape, you'll need to look into the so-called Era of Good Feelings, understand why that is a misnomer, and then examine the origins of the Democrats and the Whigs at least up to the election of Jackson.

What I guess I'm really saying here is that the history of the development of American democracy spans the entirety of the nation's history. We're still redefining it. Origins is a somewhat different matter, and the early development is more possible to pin down, but even that takes on a broad scope extended from the early 18th century up through the early 19th.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. And let me add

Gary Nash's The Unknown American Revolution...

And for the more where did this enlightenment shtick come from...

The Road to Modernity by Gertrude Himmelfarb

Rebels rising by Carp is also a good read.