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The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

Why Franklin, Washington and Lincoln considered American democracy an 'experiment' -- and were unsure if it would survive

  • Written by Thomas Coens, Research Associate Professor of History, University of Tennessee
imageVoters in a county election, 1854.Etching by John Sartain after painting by George Caleb Bingham; National Gallery of Art

From the time of the founding era to the present day, one of the more common things said about American democracy is that it is an “experiment.”

Most people can readily intuit what the term is meant to convey, but...

Read more: Why Franklin, Washington and Lincoln considered American democracy an 'experiment' -- and were...

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