Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-314) and index.
Contents:
The mystic spell of Africa -- The North Star -- For the sake of the Union -- At the point of no return -- A line of living fire -- The panic of 1857 -- American mysteries -- By the midnight sky and the silent stars -- Into the untried future.
Summary:
King provides a critical introduction to the lead-up to the Civil War. Seamlessly he weaves multiple and seemingly disparate threads, including early nineteenth-century Revivalism, the emergence of the Republic of Texas, the fugitive slave laws--and even an explosion aboard the U.S.S. Princeton in 1844--to explain how the opposition to slavery in America changed from producing speeches and pamphlets to embracing the reality that slavery could be eradicated only through arms.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.