Democracy
The 1880 satirical novel of Washington power and corruption, published anonymously. Henry Adams's authorship was kept secret until after his death.
- Original byline
- Anonymous
- Published
- 1880
- Form
- Novels
- Authorship
- Revealed: Henry Adams
- Attribution source
- Wikidata P50 (Q5255475); Wikipedia note
- How it came out
- kept secret during the author's life; the attribution was made public after his death
- Reason for anonymity
- Unrecorded
- Copyright
- Public domain
- Reference
- Wikipedia · Wikidata
The authorship story
Democracy: An American Novel appeared anonymously in 1880 and became a sensation for its acid portrait of Washington influence, centered on a widow who sets out to understand power and nearly marries it. Speculation about the author ran for decades and the secret was tightly held among a small circle. Henry Adams, historian and descendant of presidents, was revealed as the author only after his death in 1918, when the publisher made the attribution public. The novel is a clean example of anonymity kept for life and resolved posthumously by the documented record.
Questions readers ask
Who wrote Democracy?
Democracy was published anonymously and is documented as the work of Henry Adams. (kept secret during the author's life; the attribution was made public after his death). Source: Wikidata P50 (Q5255475); Wikipedia note.
Can I read Democracy for free?
Yes. Democracy is in the public domain and the full text is free to read at the Internet Archive.
When was Democracy published?
Democracy was published in 1880 without an author’s name.
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