The Shattering of the Union America in the 1850s

by Walther, Eric H.

• ISBN13: 9780842027991
• ISBN10: 0842027998
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

The 1850s offered the last remotely feasible chance for the United States to steer clear of Civil War. Yet fundamental differences between North and South about slavery and the meaning of freedom caused political conflicts to erupt again and again throughout the decade as the country lurched toward secession and war. The Shattering of the Union is a concise, readable analysis and survey of the major ideas and events that resulted in the Civil War. The first scholarly synthesis of America's final antebellum decade to be published in more than twenty years, this essential overview incorporates methods and findings by recognized historians on politics, society, race relations, ideology, and slavery. This book is a fascinating look at one of the pivotal decades in U.S. history.

Author Biography

Eric H. Walther an associate professor of history at the University of Houston.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Prologue: After the Compromise	xvii
CHAPTER ONE 1852: "THE VILE WRETCH IN PETTICOATS"	1	(20)
CHAPTER TWO 1853: "FRANK, I PITY YOU"	21	(18)
CHAPTER THREE 1854: "IT WILL RAISE A HELL OF A STORM"	39	(24)
CHAPTER FOUR 1855: "KANSAS HAS BEEN INVADED"	63	(24)
CHAPTER FIVE 1856: "THE RAPE OF A VIRGIN TERRITORY"	87	(28)
CHAPTER SIX 1857: "A NORTHERN MAN WITH SOUTHERN PRINCIPLES"	115	(24)
CHAPTER SEVEN 1858: "IT IS AN IRREPRESSIBLE CONFLICT"	139	(24)
CHAPTER EIGHT 1859: "WHEN I STRIKE, THE BEES WILL SWARM"	163	(22)
Epilogue: THE 1860's AND BEYOND	185	(8)
Bibliographical Essay	193	(6)
Index	199