The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War
Scholar Andrew Delbanco argues convincingly that slavery is the basis of America being divided since its founding. (“Slavery was in the understanding that framed the Constitution”—C. L. Remond.) The fugitive slave story then became the first Black Lives Matter movement. Armed with reason, biblical precedent and racial contempt, proponents propped up the institution that runaways exposed to its rotten core. Finally, the notorious 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, instead of preserving the Union, led to its demise and civil war.
Clear and insightful, many present-day references in The War Before the War help readers see that the past is still very much with us. This is a must-have reference guide for anyone who writes about antebellum America, and for those who seek to understand the American character. Highly recommended.
