THE PROGRESS OF CIVIL-SOCIETY - A 19TH-CENTURY AMERICAN HISTORY OF GOVERNMENTS

As far as we know the oldest global history of government was publishe d in 1860 by the American author Duganne. In this article, Duganne's b ook is analyzed in terms of its reflection of American ideals and idea s about the relation between individual, society, and government on th e eve of the Civil War: Although Duganne's presentation of facts has t o be understood in the context of its limb the underlying ideas and va lues (liberal democracy, progressive advancement of society) are still relevant to contemporary Americans. Also, his attempt at writing a un iversal history certainly has a contemporary counterpart. This article serves to help our understanding of the frame of thinking of an ''ave rage'' American in the 19th century Duganne's book is a reflection of how the brilliance of great thinkers, whether political theorists (Hob bes, Locke) or religious and political leaders (Brownson, Jefferson) t rickled down to the population.