Democracy by Petition

The UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs kicks off a spring lecture series, “American Democracy, American Dream,” with a talk by Harvard University professor Daniel Carpenter. His 2021 book, Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790–1870, examines the history of democracy's slow expansion in the 19th century, as those denied official participation in the political process employed petitions to bring grievances into public discussion. Register on Eventbrite for the talk, and find information on the full series at lafollette.wisc.edu.  

media release: This spring, the La Follette School will host leading experts to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing our country. 

The event series American Democracy, American Dream will examine the importance of public policy’s influence on democracy and everyday American life. Events will cover the history of 19^th century petitioning, America’s evolving role on the global stage, and capitalism’s effects on the working class.

All spring events are free. With the exception of our annual Alumni & Friends Reception, all events will be open to the public and livestreamed online.

March 24 — Daniel Carpenter, Democracy by Petition

Discovery Building and via livestream, 5–6 p.m.

Daniel Carpenter of Harvard University will present a book lecture and discussion focused on his 2021 book Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790-1870.

Democracy by Petition traces the explosion and expansion of petitioning across the North American continent and the important role petitioning played in the formative years of North American democracy. Petitions facilitated the extension of suffrage, the decline of feudal land tenure, advances in liberty for women, African Americans, and Indigenous peoples by affording people excluded from formal politics the chance to make their voices heard.

In his lecture, Carpenter will explore the debt America owes to the unprecedented energy with which the petition was employed in the antebellum period and how it shaped our modern democracy. He will argue that understanding this neglected yet vital strand of nineteenth-century life profoundly affects our understanding of our country’s political history.

Join us in-person at the H.F. DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building or via YouTube livestream. The lecture will include time for Q&A which can be submitted at go.wisc.edu/askdaniel.

The series continues with events on April 14, May 2 and May 4. Find the full schedule here.