Why did the Puritans leave England? What impact did their beliefs have on America? Did they have a lasting effect even though the religion faded?

What is "melancholy" as perceived by Alexis de Tocqueville? Why did de Tocqueville feel that with abundance there is always this melancholy?

Why was de Tocqueville drawn the to the United States? What did he write as a result of his long tour of America?

What were Abraham Lincoln's real views on slavery? How did his "melancholy" help to spawn a new government or one that represented fairness and decency? When did Lincoln's dream of fairness and opportunity for all begin to fade and why?

What is civil religion? After the stronghold that Puritanism had on the new country why was it necessary for another "faith" to emerge?

Why is "self" replacing the "nation" as the focal point of...