Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewStudents tend to think that Stephen A. Douglas is famous because he lost his debates with Abraham Lincoln in 1858. Of course he won those debates and was reelected as Senator from Illinois. Indeed, Douglas was one of the most important and successful political figures of the 1850s. We have long needed a concise biography of Douglas and James Huston has now provided just that. We are in Huston's debt for his intelligent and well written assessment of Douglas, and for his clear analysis of the often misunderstood 'dilemmas of democratic equality.' Comprehensive and insightful, this book provides a perfect picture of Douglas and it should be used in classes on the coming of the Civil War. -- William G. Shade, LeHigh University
Huston has written an excellent biography of a critical figure in antebellum America. This book would be a fine addition to any undergraduate course and excellent reading for professional historians. * Civil War Book Review *
A pleasant surprise. . . . Huston's book joins the Rowman & Littlefield series American Profiles, brief biographies of major figures that are accessible to scholars and general readers alike. He brings the Little Giant to contemporary readers. -- David Zarefsky, Northwestern University * Journal of American History *
James L. Huston's book presents an intriguing reinterpretation of the life of Illinois' famous antebellum senator. * Indiana Magazine of History *
Huston's scholarship is always interesting and provocative and is so here as he explores Douglas's life. . . . This concise and informative work is a welcome addition to the literature about antebellum America. * Journal of Southern History *
James Huston's terrific new book brims with fresh and important insights about Douglas and the political world he inhabited. Historians will want it on their shelves of antebellum studies and in paper as soon as possible for use in their classrooms. -- Michael F. Holt, University of Virginia
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Creating Democracy, 1813–1840 Chapter 2: Democracy, Commerce, and Manifest Destiny Chapter 3: The Compromise of 1850 Chapter 4: The Kansas-Nebraska Act and its Aftermath, 1851–1856 Chapter 5: Popular Sovereignty Fails: The Lecompton Constitution Battle, 1857–1859 Chapter 6: The Election of 1860 Chapter 7: Secession and the Limits of Democracy, 1860–1861 Essay on Sources
