"As I speak, thirteen million civilized Europeans are quietly spreading out across this fertile wilderness whose extent and resources they themselves still do not know for certain. three or four thousand soldiers drive the wandering race of natives before them. behind these armed men come woodsmen who penetrate the forests, scatter the wild animals, explore the rivers, and lay the groundwork for civilization's triumphant march across the wilderness."
-de Tocqueville, 323
As we have talked about it in class, the way in which he viewed conquering the wild. I think his language is interesting because I know anything foreign or what they don't know they call 'salvages', but I think it's interesting that he used 'civilized Europeans'. Shouldn't it be understood that the Europeans are already civilized, or is he trying to further emphasize that? He even talks about the "material prosperity of the Americans." This is all he is really worried about in his essay. I guess all he really wants to see is the wealth that people can harness from the untamed American lands. In the end, he gives the impression that being wealthy gives you more freedom and he was allowed to do that in America.
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