Book 1, Albion's Seed : Chapter 1, Introductory & East Anglia Summary and Analysis

David Hackett Fischer provides a concise description of the American condition. This gives a skeletal view of the nation. This is part of what is needed to follow the author's cultural history. The country is a republic. The laws are democratic, meaning the majority—which in history has often meant the poor people—have the greatest influence upon the laws. The economy is capitalistic, meaning that individuals and groups can begin and run business endeavors with a minimum of interference from the state and federal government. It also allows for profitable methods so that gains achieved by excellence in effort are well recognized. Many of the laws are libertarian. Individual freedoms are well guarded in the United States in ways not found everywhere. For the moment, the...