The chapter Exterior Form of North America in Tocqueville’s book Democracy in America is interesting because it gives the reader an insight on the landscape of North America before it was completely settled and explored. Tocqueville describes different geography in North America in different regions.
Tocqueville speaks of the separation of land and sea and mountains and valleys. He says that “This continent is divided almost equally into two vast regions, one of which is bounded on the north by the Arctic Pole, and by the two great oceans on the east and west.” Tocqueville speaks of the continent forming a triangle towards the south with its sides meeting in Canada. The second Tocqueville mentioned in the chapter takes up the rest of the continent, sloping towards the North Pole. Tocqueville goes on to break the article into two regions of geographical features. He describes a northern region of mostly plains with not many high mountains. He says the second region is more “varied in surface” with different mountain chains separating land from the ocean. He goes on to speak about other various geographical features especially the Mississippi river.
Tocqueville changes the concept of the article to the Natives that were using these resources from the land. Tocqueville talks about these people being uncivilized saying “The Indian was indebted to no one but himself; his virtues, his vices, and his prejudices were his own work; he had grown up in the wild independence of his nature.” He goes on to say that these people were using the land at no charge and not giving anything back in return. When the Natives began to be tormented for this by European settlers they were confused as to why they were being prosecuted.