Title The stormy present : conservatism and the problem of slavery in Northern politics, 1846-1865 / Adam I.P. Smith

Published Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, [2017] ©2017

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Description 1 online resource Series Civil War America Civil War America (Series) Contents Barricades on Broadway : mobs and the problem of revolution in American politics -- Order and the problem of law : fugitive slaves and the Constitution -- Storm over Kansas : slavery expansion and the problem of violence -- An engine for freedom : popular sovereignty and political convergence -- Fear on the campaign trail : the election of 1860 -- The essence of anarchy : secession and the war against slaveholders -- How conservative people conduct a long war Summary "In this engaging and nuanced political history of Northern communities in the Civil War era, Adam I. P. Smith offers a new interpretation of the familiar story of the path to war and ultimate victory. Smith looks beyond the political divisions between abolitionist Republicans and Copperhead Democrats to consider the everyday conservatism that characterized the majority of Northern voters. A sense of ongoing crisis in these Northern states created anxiety and instability, which manifested in a range of social and political tensions in individual communities. In the face of such realities, Smith argues that a conservative impulse was more than just a historical or nostalgic tendency; it was fundamental to charting a path to the future. At stake for Northerners was their conception of the Union as the vanguard in a global struggle between democracy and despotism, and their ability to navigate their freedoms through the stormy waters of modernity. As a result, the language of conservatism was peculiarly, and revealingly, prominent in Northern politics during these years. The story this book tells is of conservative people coming, in the end, to accept radical change." -- Publisher's description Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed October 9, 2017) Subject Conservatism -- Northeastern States -- History -- 19th century Slavery -- United States. HISTORY -- United States -- State & Local -- General. HISTORY -- United States -- Civil War Period (1850-1877) Conservatism Politics and government Slavery War -- Causes SUBJECT Northeastern States -- Politics and government -- 19th century United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Causes. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85140219 Subject Northeastern States United States Genre/Form Electronic books History Form Electronic book ISBN 9781469633909 1469633906 9781469633916 1469633914

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