Description
Book SynopsisFocuses on the men who shaped the events that led to secession and the Civil War.
Trade ReviewLively and concise, The Men of Secession provides a general audience with a lucid guide to the nature and background of the secession crisis that exploded into the Civil War. Especially praiseworthy is the emphasis on key individuals who hopes and fears drove the crisis forward. This very readable account puts a human face on the coming of the Civil War while simultaneously drawing upon much of the latest research. Highly recommended for understanding America's greatest crisis. -- William L. Barney, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A valuable introduction to a compelling topic. James Abrahamson brings to life the debates and issues that precipitated the American Civil War by examining what the principal actors thought, said, and did as the republic careened toward disunion and bloodshed. -- Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State University, author of Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph over Adversity
The author unquestionably has succeeded in bringing to life many of the leading figures of the secession years, and through them he illuminates a number of larger social issues. * Georgia Historical Quarterly *
Table of ContentsPart 1 I Prelude to Disunion Chapter 2 John Brown, Salmon Chase, and the Southern Response to American Antislavery Chapter 3 George Fitzhugh, Roger Taney, and the Northern Response to Southern Proslavery Part 4 II The Secession Campaign Chapter 5 Barnwell Rhett, the Fire-Eaters, and Southern Independence Chapter 6 Stephen Douglas, William Yancey, and the Collapse of the Democratic Party Chapter 7 The Men of the West and the Election of 1860 Chapter 8 Alexander Stephens, Deep South Secession, and the Failure of Southern Unionism Chapter 9 Jefferson Davis and the Formation of the Cotton Confederacy Part 10 III The Road to War Chapter 11 John Crittenden and the Failure of Compromise Chapter 12 Abraham Lincoln, Fort Sumter, and the Union Chapter 13 Andrew Johnson, John Letcher, and Secession in the Upper South Chapter 14 Epilogues: Some Thoughts on Alternatives and Consequences
