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.
#748109 in Books Ingramcontent 2016-09-12 2016-09-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 1467135658128 pagesThe Last Lynching in Northern Virginia Seeking Truth at Rattlesnake Mountain True Crime
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Twinned starsBy D. N. StoneThis is a superlative work of local history that deserves a national audience. The author clearly knows the lovely community he writes about; and his photos of local people he interviewed and the landscape add authenticity to this re-examination of a lynching that was mischaracterized as a suicide. The writing is fluid and workmanlike; with an eye for the telling detail: the squirrel munching on an acorn in the tree where the hanged body was discovered or the assembly line of biscuits; ham and butter that fed the search party. That a lynching occurred unrecognized and unpunished in Virginia in 1932; less than 50 miles from the nation's capitol; in the state that gave the country its leaders who established the rule of law; cannot help but inspire the reader to vigilance and to gratitude to the author for his quest for the truth.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Story to be supplemented by new filmBy Thomas DavenportI worked with Jim Hall as I made my film "The Other Side of Eden: Stories of a Virginia Lynching". His research and writing are impeccable and as I read his book (and re-read it!) I am amazed at the depth of his research and the careful assembly of the facts of the story from newspapers and interviews. Jim also has a blog which he uses to update the story as new information emerges. Highly recommended!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good ReadBy Bridget SettlesYou can tell that Jim Hall poured his heart and soul into writing this book. I appreciate that his facts stated in the book were supported by such solid evidence. I recommend that anyone interested in history pick up this book. Great job Mr. Hall! What's next?
