Promotional Information

"Dramatic political clashes between antislavery and proslavery forces characterized the United States as it moved toward Civil War. Michael S. Green's fast-paced narrative of this prewar struggle combines a comprehensive understanding of the divisive forces at work with insightful portraits of leading figures. This is a book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the events that brought on America's most important war." -- Stanley Harrold, author of The Rise of Aggressive Abolitionism: Addresses to the Slaves "This expert and engaging account of the coming of the Civil War brings the sectional conflict to life. Covering all the major political events of the 1850s-including the literary and social events that became political-Michael Green's account focuses on the people creating the crisis: men determined to promote their own vision of the nation and convinced that their opponents were traitors. This well-written history of the 1850s shows how the struggle to keep slavery out of the West became not only the tinder for the Civil War, but also a fight over the soul of America." -- Heather Cox Richardson, Professor of History, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author of West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Acknowledgments Prologue: The Evolution of American Politics Chapter One: Provisos and Spots: The Cracking of Old Coalitions Chapter Two: The Compromise of 1850 Chapter Three: "A Hell of a Storm": The Aftermath of Compromise Chapter Four: Bleeding Parties, Bleeding Kansas, Bleeding Sumner Chapter Five: A New President, a New Party, a New Constitutional Clash Chapter Six: Great Debates and Greater Debates Chapter Seven: Purging the Land with Blood Notes Bibliographical Essay Index

About the Author

Michael S. Green is professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Reviews

"As the author says, his book is intended for undergraduates and general readers, but drawing on the best new scholarship, it is thorough enough to be useful to graduate students and teachers as well. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." - Choice