In the Acknowledgments section of Erik Larson's best-selling book, The Demon of Unrest - A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (#1,240) he jokingly claims that one of his early reviewers now possesses "a truly effective doorstop". While he's not wrong about it being a literally weighty tome, he isn't giving his multitude of readers credit for reading this fascinating narrative of a myriad of people places and things which contributed to the start of the Civil War. Central to this is examining what led to the South Carolinians firing upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. His conclusion? Slavery was the root cause.
That is still controversial today, according to sources at my local library, and the proliferation of confederate flags on display all around us. Yet it was all done to preserve a way of life and an economy based on cotton, dependent on an enslaved force to do the actual work so that the upper class could practice their notion of "chivalry" in comfort. Abraham Lincoln did not begin his term in office as an abolitionist; his desire was to let the states who wished to secede over the question of slavery maintain their economic status quo (including slavery!) and peacefully rejoin the Union. It didn't work out that way...
I had no idea who many of the people were who played significant roles in instigating the Civil War, or those who worked equally diligently to prevent it. Who knew a rogue Supreme Court justice would be accused of treasonous behavior for "aiding and abetting" the enemy - i.e. the Secession States? Or that Florida helped turned the tide toward secession? Or that certifying the vote for Lincoln's presidency would upend American politics in a way akin to the Trump/Biden January 6th debacle?
As always with Erik Larson's books, he buries some interesting information in his chapter Notes, so be sure to check these out. Prepare to settle in for a long and enlightening read.
No comments:
Post a Comment