Description
Book Synopsis As a Harvard alumnus, diplomat, U.S. President, member of Congress and attorney before the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams had a unique relationship with slavery. Prickly and curmudgeonly, he danced with abolitionists, but never became one himself. However, Adams did harbor an intense hatred for the arguments of Southern slaveholders, and eventually found himself in the center of America''s greatest struggle.
Informed by Adams'' revealing and often tormented musings from his vast diary, this sweeping narrative offers a unique and gripping account of John Quincy Adams'' battle with slavery, while exploring the many fault lines in American society that led to the Civil War. Included are the dramatic showdowns in the House of Representatives and Supreme Court, as well as Adams'' attempts at outsmarting Southern politicians and his efforts to keep slavery at the forefront of Congressional activities.
Trade Review“Others have written about John Quincy Adams and slavery, but none have gone as deeply, or more expertly, than Denman....John Quincy Adams does not lack for biographers...Denman, however, looking through the lens of slavery, provides us with a fresh and nuanced view of this politician and statesman....Diaries and letters abound and Denman has probed and utilized these sources with extraordinary care.” - Dr. William H. Fowler, Distinguished Historian Emeritus, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, author of
Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America, 1754-1763
