Men of Secession and Civil War, 1859-1861

• Part 1 I Prelude to DisunionChapter 2 John Brown, Salmon Chase, and the Southern Response to American AntislaveryChapter 3 George Fitzhugh, Roger Taney, and the Northern Response to Southern ProslaveryPart 4 II The Secession CampaignChapter 5 Barnwell Rhett, the Fire-Eaters, and Southern IndependenceChapter 6 Stephen Douglas, William Yancey, and the Collapse of the Democratic PartyChapter 7 The Men of the West and the Election of 1860Chapter 8 Alexander Stephens, Deep South Secession, and the Failure of Southern UnionismChapter 9 Jefferson Davis and the Formation of the Cotton ConfederacyPart 10 III The Road to WarChapter 11 John Crittenden and the Failure of CompromiseChapter 12 Abraham Lincoln, Fort Sumter, and the UnionChapter 13 Andrew Johnson, John Letcher, and Secession in the Upper SouthChapter 14 Epilogues: Some Thoughts on Alternatives and Consequences

Lively and concise, The Men of Secession provides a general audience with a lucid guide to the nature and background of the secession crisis that exploded into the Civil War. Especially praiseworthy is the emphasis on key individuals who hopes and fears drove the crisis forward. This very readable account puts a human face on the coming of the Civil War while simultaneously drawing upon much of the latest research. Highly recommended for understanding America's greatest crisis.