Abstract

By focusing on the interplay between marriage and the political constitution of the Caribbean colonies, this paper analyzes how the abolition of slavery affects Tocqueville’s reflection on democracy. This paper aims to unveil both the articulation between family, wages and political representation as the pivot of Tocqueville’s abolitionist commitment, and its impact on democracy as an unstoppable revolution. I suggest that the investigation on these colonial essays reveals that the entanglement between the subordination of women and the constitutional configuration of colonies is crucial in setting up the government of democracy.