Briefings & Statements Presidential Message on the Birthday of Alexis de TocquevilleToday, our Nation honors the life, legacy, and enduring wisdom of Alexis de Tocqueville—a great witness to the promise of our young Republic and one of the most brilliant political minds in the history of the world. Tocqueville had arrived in our Nation as a stranger, but marveling at the faith, self-reliance, and steadfast civic spirit of our forefathers, he fell in love with the American People. Upon returning to France, Tocqueville published Democracy in America, one of the most profound reflections on political and human nature ever put to paper. “In America, I saw more than America,” he wrote. In this work, we are guided by the same truth Tocqueville recognized 195 years ago: A people who wish to remain free must remain worthy of freedom.