Description
Book SynopsisWidely known as the “poor man’s lawyer” in antebellum Boston, John Albion Andrew (1818–1867) was involved in nearly every cause and case that advanced social and racial justice in Boston in the years preceding the Civil War. Inspired by the legacies of John Quincy Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and mentored by Charles Sumner, Andrew devoted himself to the battle for equality. By day, he fought to protect those condemned to the death penalty, women seeking divorce, and fugitives ensnared by the Fugitive Slave Law. By night, he coordinated logistics and funding for the Underground Railroad as it ferried enslaved African Americans northward.
In this revealing and accessible biography, Stephen D. Engle traces Andrew’s life and legacy, giving this important, but largely forgotten, figure his due. Rising to national prominence during the Civil War years as the governor of Massachusetts, Andrew raised the African American regiment known as the Glorious 54th and rallied thousands of soldiers to the Union cause. Upon his sudden death in 1867, a correspondent for Harper’s Weekly wrote, “Not since the news came of Abraham Lincoln’s death were so many hearts truly smitten.”
Trade ReviewStephen D. Engle reintroduces us to one of the nineteenth century’s leading political reformers, abolitionists, and citizens. John Andrew deserves to be more widely known, and this book is the kind of biography he deserves. Through the story Andrew’s life, Engle illuminates the contentious and exhilarating era in which Andrew played such a pivotal role." - Robert Allison, author of
The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction"In an engagingly written book, Stephen Engle traces Andrew’s trajectory from young idealistic student and abolitionist lawyer to his career as Lincoln’s most effective ally among the Civil War governors. A first-class biography, Engle’s book is also a comprehensive history of the one of the most consequential governorships in American history. It will be read by many; it will be essential reading for those working in the political history of the Civil War." - John L. Brooke, author of “There Is a North”: Fugitive Slaves, Political Crisis, and Cultural Transformation in the Coming of the Civil War
Table of Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: Windham Origins: 1818–1833
- Chapter 2: The Bowdoin College Years: 1834–1837
- Chapter 3: The Poor Man’s Lawyer: 1837–1845
- Chapter 4: The Emerging Politician: 1846–1849
- Chapter 5: On the Right Side of God: 1850–1854
- Chapter 6: The Republican Tide: 1855–1856
- Chapter 7: The Radical Champion: 1857–1858
- Chapter 8: Republican Star Rising: 1858–1859
- Chapter 9: The Governorship: 1860
- Chapter 10: Man for the Hour: January–April 1861
- Chapter 11: “A Grand Era Has Dawned”: April–May 1861
- Chapter 12: Communities at War: June–September 1861
- Chapter 13: The Politics of Command: October–November 1861
- Chapter 14: The Lord Is Marching On: November 1861–January 1862
- Chapter 15: The Changing War: January–July 1862
- Chapter 16: Emancipation: July–November 1862
- Chapter 17: Slaves No More: December 1862–May 1863
- Chapter 18: Opening Eyes of North and South: May–December 1863
- Chapter 19: The Promise of a New Year: January–June 1864
- Chapter 20: This Justice: July–December 1864
- Chapter 21: Thirteenth Amendment: January–June 1865
- Chapter 22: Last Months in the Statehouse: July–December 1865
- Chapter 23: Working for the Ages: January–April 1866
- Chapter 24: Postwar Yankee: May 1866–May 1867
- Epilogue
- Children Will Call You Blessed: April 1866–October 1897
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
