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“I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked, now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many important things done by the Americans, to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville
In 1831, Alexis deTocqueville, a French diplomat and political philosopher, visited the United States of America where he observed the positive and negative effects of democracy. After much observation, de Tocqueville wrote the landmark book Democracy in America. At the close of his 943-page work detailing many aspects of the American government and people, de Tocqueville attributed America’s democratic success mainly to its women. WHY?
Listen to this podcast as Audrey Rindlisbacher describes the influence of mothers in the founding of the United States of America. Hear how mothers back then prepared a moral people ready to found a great nation under God and how, as mothers today, we too play a critical role in upholding morals in the societies to which we belong. As women and mothers we can bring back natural laws and build homes centered on principles, becoming the bulwark of morals in a time of shifting morality.
Listener’s Guide:
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.
1:00 Alexis de Tocqueville looks to America
11:57 American education in the 1700’s
14:47 How is leadership created?
16.34 What de Tocqueville had to say about women in America
25:02 Why mothers are the bulwark of morality
Quotes from this episode:
“…let us borrow from [America] the principles, rather than the details, of her laws.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville
“…it was a burly intellectual craving that called them from the comforts of their former homes; and in facing the inevitable sufferings of exile their object was the triumph of an idea.”~Alexis de Tocqueville
“No free communities ever existed without morals, and as I observed in the former part of this work, morals are the work of woman.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville
“Great events in history are determined by all kinds of factors, but the most important single one is always the quality of the people in charge; and never was this principle more convincingly demonstrated than in the struggle for American independence.” ~Paul Johnson
“Taken as a whole, the course of studies was regarded less as an induction into various branches of learning and more as a fixed body of absolute, immutable truths.” ~Christopher J. Lucas
“The most important leader in a young child’s life is her mother.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher
“I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked, now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many important things done by the Americans, to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville
“That is where you and I come in as women and as mothers–bringing those natural laws back, building homes that are principle centered, becoming the bulwark of morals in a time of shifting morality. Our role is just as difficult as the role of past generations and in some regard may be more difficult because the information isn’t as readily available, we’re not taught [natural law and principles] in the schools and they’re not upheld in society. We have to…band together as mothers to help and support each other in this morality that we are striving to perpetuate for future generations because we know that’s where true happiness lies. We know that’s where the strength of any individual, any family, any community, any nation comes from is submission to natural laws. That is the foundation of true morality and it’s what builds strength in any endeavor.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher
Democracy In America links from this episode:
The differences in the Northern and Southern founding men and women, from vol. 1, part 1, chp 2: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/815/815-h/815-h.htm#link2HCH0003
How 17th and 18th century Americans viewed women and raised young women, beginning in vol. 2, book 3, chp. 9: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/816/816-h/816-h.htm#link2HCH0050
Books from this episode:
