»Look to America!« This phrase has had rhetoric potential for many years. Already during the Vormärz period political professors studied the American political and legal system and historical treaties. Their research became most relevant during the political upheavals of the years 1848/49.

Charlotte A. Lerg shows in her study that these researchers were not so much looking to copy the American system as they were looking for inspiration and argumentative backing in their own search to define conecpts such as federalism, revolution, republic and freedom.