Writing in the Reconstruction Era directly following the Civil War in the America, Whitman takes alarm at the developments unfolding around him. He does not endorse the materialism which surfaces in the aftermath of the war, a response to the extreme fear and desecration of a nation divided against itself. Factoring in the loss of political unity which resulted from Lincoln's death, Whitman takes a cynical tone toward the fate of the nation. He laments how people seem to view one another as competitors instead of neighbors, as if they have nothing in common.
Making a survey of the political figures of the day, as the book's title implies, Whitman devotes time to several important men. Although he rambles, he does discuss the impact of various political ideals and the people who support them. He discusses the impact of rapid industrialization and the expansion of the frontier as the primary influence of democratic thought, ideas which border upon Frederick Jackson Turner's yet to be proposed frontier thesis. Basically, Whitman argues that America's ever-increasing land, wealth, and technology position it to be the single greatest nation of all time, but the people are greedy. Discontent with present circumstances, has led many people to expand the frontier into the Louisiana Purchase land. Rather than resolving their differences and adapting to economic competition, Americans seem to prefer moving on. But what happens when the land runs out?
Whitman identifies the problem of motivation in his America. Desiring the best for his nation, he believes the political discord and general attitude of competition among his countrymen are the sole threats against the success of democracy. His proposed solution is an increasing push for unity of thought and identity, not that all would be the same but that they would recognize all as neighbors, brothers, and countrymen. Whitman believes that literature -- a few great poets -- is the solution for unity. He proposes that authors may reach the vast audiences of the country with messages of democracy in order to align the public opinion with the already huge advantage of recent technological advances.
