Summary in Seconds: From the outset, in the late 18th century, the American version of democracy diverged significantly from its European counterpart. The contrast between the American Revolution and the French Revolution can be encapsulated in their respective slogans: “no taxation without representation” versus “liberté, égalité, et fraternité.” While Europe’s path to democracy was shaped by figures and events such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Metternich, and the “Springtime of the Peoples” in 1848, America’s trajectory toward democracy was defined by its Civil War, the expansion into “The Wild West,” the acquisition of vast territories including Mexico, Cuba, and the Philippines,