On January 3, 1832 Alexis de Tocqueville, author of Democracy in America, and Gustave de Beaumont travelled through Mobile on their way around the U.S. An excerpt from de Tocqueville’s journal on that day:

“The greatest merit of the government of the United States is that it is powerless and passive. In the actual state of things, in order to prosper America has no need of skillful direction, profound designs or great efforts. But need of liberty and still more liberty.”