At the Precipice: Americans North and South during the Secession Crisis

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At the Precipice: Americans North and South during the Secession Crisis Pub. Date: 10/4/2010 Publisher: University of North Carolina Press, The

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Overview

Why did eleven slave states secede from the Union in 1860-61? Why did the eighteen free states loyal to the Union deny the legitimacy of secession, and take concrete steps after Fort Sumter to subdue what President Abraham Lincoln deemed treasonous rebellion?

At the Precipice seeks to answer these and related questions by focusing on the different ways in which Americans, North and South, black and white, understood their interests, rights, and honor during the late antebellum years. Rather than give a narrative account of the crisis, Shearer Davis Bowman takes readers into the minds of the leading actors, examining the lives and thoughts of such key figures as Abraham Lincoln, James Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, John Tyler, and Martin Van Buren. Bowman also provides an especially vivid glimpse into what less famous men and women in both sections thought about themselves and the political, social, and cultural worlds in which they lived, and how their thoughts informed their actions in the secession period. Intriguingly, secessionists and Unionists alike glorified the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, yet they interpreted those sacred documents in markedly different ways and held very different notions of what constituted "American" values.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807833926
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press, The
Publication date: 10/4/2010
Pages: 480
Series: Littlefield History of the Civil War Era Series
Product dimensions: 6.50 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Shearer Davis Bowman is an associate professor in history at the University of Kentucky. He is author of Masters and Lords: Mid-19th-Century U.S. Planters and Prussian Junkers.

1 Introduction and Overview 1

2 Slaveholders and Slaves, States Rights and Revolution 38

3 Honor and Degradation 77

Section, Hare, and Gender

4 The Second Party System and Its Legaey 112

The Careers of John Bell, John C. Breckinridge, Howell Cobb, Stephen A. Douglas, John Tyler, and Martin Van Buren

5 Jefferson Davis, Horac L. Kent, and the Old South 160

6 Abraham Lincoln, Henry Waller, and the Free-Labor North 195

7 Keziali Goodwyn Hopkins Brevard and Sojourner Truth 244

Faith, Race, and Gender

8 President Buchanan, the Crittenden Compromise, President Lincoln, and Fort Sumter 261

Notes 289

Guide to Further Reading 339

Acknowledgements 357

Index 359

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James_Durney

Posted September 30, 2010

more from this reviewer

Difficult but Rewarding

The author, who died in December 2009, spent his life teaching history at the college level. While not a dynamic writer, an excellent understanding of history coupled with the ability to discern trends resulted in a unique view of events creating a provocative view of American history.
Eight chapters organize the author's position and present his arguments. "Introduction and Overview" is a slow read and may cause some to give up on the book. It is not an optional item as the author covers events and interruptions of events during the 1850s. "Slaveholders and Slaves, State's Rights and Revolution" picks up the pace looking at feelings, fears and values.
"Honor and Degradation" takes a hard look at manliness and personal honor. How these items influence the political process and secession provides food for thought. How the political parties held off or brought on secession is the subject of "The Second Party System and Its Legacy". Looking at John Bell, John C. Breckinridge, Howell Cobb, Stephen A. Douglas, John Tyler and Martin Van Buren we see the process of comprise and disaffection. "Jefferson Davis, Horace L. Kent and the Old South" coupled with "Abraham Lincoln, Henry Waller and the Free-Labor North" highlight the development of the two sections. How different they were in attitude, politics and expectations resulting in one nation with two countries. "Faith, Race, and Gender" is worth the price of the book. Using Sojourner Truth, the author traces the history of slavery in the North. Using a well to do Southern widow, we see slavery in the South from a moderate's view. These 17 pages is a revelation on the subject of slavery. The last chapter looks at Buchanan, the Crittenden Compromise, Lincoln and Ft. Sumter. Throughout, the author looks at racism, property rights, westward expansion and abolition.
The "takes readers into the minds" is misleading. To me, it brought back memories of the "pop physiology" histories that once were popular. In this book, the author makes his points using statements and actions by the participants. This results in a very well supported logical argument. This is a serious history with 49 pages of ends notes and 18 pages of further reading suggestions. Sources are a mix of primary and contemporary works.

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