Description
Book SynopsisDespite the immense body of literature about the American Civil War and its causes, the nation’s western involvement in the approaching conflict often gets short shrift.
Busy in the Cause explores the role of the Midwest in shaping US politics concerning slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War.
Trade Review"
Busy in the Cause is a welcome addition to this literature, and its accessible narrative makes the work handy for undergraduate courses on Civil War and western history."—William Hickox,
Kansas History"
Busy in the Cause is worthwhile reading for anyone who is interested in the run-up to the Civil War in the West."—Dan Holtz,
Nebraska History"
Busy in the Cause is a lively and engaging narrative."—Brent M. S. Campney,
Western Historical Quarterly"Busy in the Cause is a unique and important contribution to Iowa history and to the literature of the 1850s Free Soil movement in the unsettled West."—Civil War Books and Authors
"Soike's clearly written narrative illuminates the intersection between free soilism in Iowa and turmoil in Bleeding Kansas. . . . [She] has filled a niche in elaborating Iowa's role in the territorial struggle."—Nicole Etcheson, Middle West Review
"Soike's 36 years as historian for the Iowa State Historical Society is reflected in the extensive research and knowledge shining through on every page."—Vernon Schmid,
Roundup MagazineTable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Uncertainty Rising
2. The Morning Star
3. Prairie, Dust, and Wind
4. “Do Come and Help Us. Come On through Iowa”
5. Ho! For Kansas
6. Scramble to Freedom
7. Raising the Stakes
8. Heaven Sent
9. North and Back: Captors and Liberators
Epilogue
Appendix
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
