Power and Progress: American National Identity, the War of 1898, and the Rise of American Imperialism Book

I have always been a fan of James Fenimore Cooper. From my high school days, a young boy in search of adventures in reading, found Natty Bumppo to be an interesting character. Cooper was perhaps America's first nature writer, for he embraced the outdoor adventure.

Although I confess to not reading the whole Leatherstocking Series, I have read other material by Cooper, most notably Billy Budd, one of my favorite novellas. Another Cooper writing I came across was The American Democrat. I found the title to be interesting, and I thought it would be good to get some thoughts from someone who lived around the time of the early years of our Republic and to read their thoughts on all matters America.

Cooper covers a bevy of topics ranging from the duties of people and politicians to the advantages and disadvantages of monarchies, aristocracies, and democracies. You do not have to be a political geek to enjoy this book. He also talks about slavery, individuality, and equality.

Also, don't be fooled by the title, the word Democrat is a bit misleading. In fact, if Cooper were alive today my bet is that he would be conservative or libertarian.

One final note, he makes an interesting observation. He says that politicians with no principles are more likely to make knee jerk decisions, which ultimately hurt the republic in the long run. Interesting!