A Turning Point in American History; the Beating of U.S. Senator Charles Sumner and the Beginning of the War Over SlaveryEarly in the afternoon of May 22; 1856; ardent pro-slavery Congressman Preston S. Brooks of South Carolina strode into the United States Senate Chamber in Washington; D.C.; and began beating renowned anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner with a gold-topped walking cane. Brooks struck again and again—more than thirty times across Sumner’s head; face; and shoulders—until his cane splintered into pieces and the helpless Massachusetts senator; having nearly wrenched his desk from its fixed base; lay unconscious and covered in blood. It was a retaliatory attack. Forty-eight hours earlier; Sumner had concluded a speech on the Senate floor that had spanned two days; during which he vilified Southern slaveowners for violence occurring in Kansas; called Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois a “noise-some; squat; and nameless animal;†and famously charged Brooks’s second cousin; South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler; as having “a mistress. . . who ugly to others; is always lovely to him. . . . I mean; the harlot; Slavery.†Brooks not only shattered his cane during the beating; but also destroyed any pretense of civility between North and South.One of the most shocking and provocative events in American history; the caning convinced each side that the gulf between them was unbridgeable and that they could no longer discuss their vast differences of opinion regarding slavery on any reasonable level.The Caning: The Assault That Drove America to Civil War tells the incredible story of this transformative event. While Sumner eventually recovered after a lengthy convalescence; compromise had suffered a mortal blow. Moderate voices were drowned out completely; extremist views accelerated; became intractable; and locked both sides on a tragic collision course.The caning had an enormous impact on the events that followed over the next four years: the meteoric rise of the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln; the Dred Scott decision; the increasing militancy of abolitionists; notably John Brown’s actions; and the secession of the Southern states and the founding of the Confederacy. As a result of the caning; the country was pushed; inexorably and unstoppably; to war. Many factors conspired to cause the Civil War; but it was the caning that made conflict and disunion unavoidable five years later.
#249205 in Books 2011-09-06 2011-09-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.99 x .80 x 5.26l; .59 #File Name: 159240667X304 pages
Review
490 of 502 people found the following review helpful. Bravo Jim Gorant!By CustomerOnce I started reading this book; I was unable to put it down. The only time I put it down was to walk my two pit bull rescues. I read it in a day; and it sent me through a wide range of emotions. There were parts of the book that were very difficult to get through but necessary to understand the monsters that were eventually prosecuted. I do think the book was fair. Vick is a monster; and sorry...he's going to look like a monster even if you are just telling the story from an unbiased point of view. It shows his clear lack of remorse; not from commentary but from Vick's actions following his guilty plea (specifically his court ordered monetary payment for the rehabilitation of the dogs).It was fascinating to learn about the legal hoops that law enforcement officers were forced to jump through in the county of Surry. I was unaware of the local politics which leaned toward letting football players display open sociopathic behavior without any threat of arrest. These investigators risked their careers; they are true heroes; and it is nice to know that these tough guys have such a soft spot for our canine best friends. It was also uplifting to hear of a U.S. attorney that cares about animal cruelty. While Vick's gang was a perfect storm of monsters; the investigators; attorneys; veterinarians; legal representatives and rescue organizations that came together afterward were a perfect storm of the best of mankind.This book does make me wonder about the NFL in general. Why do we continue to reward criminal behavior with loyal fans? As football season starts; I see college kids walking around with new Vick jerseys. I try to understand that Eagles fans are a loyal breed; but do they have to wear Vick jerseys? I used to think that the Eagles organization should be ashamed of themselves; but now I blame the entire NFL organization. Vick made absolutely no effort to redeem himself following his sentence; and they rewarded him by welcoming him back. That's the negative and it is the part of this story that leads me to sometimes feel anger and disgust...on to the positive...and yes; there is a positive side to this story.One of the reasons I felt good after reading this book is that I found myself addicted to reading about the progress these dogs made outside the confines of the prison of a monster. I still am unable to think of Jonny Justice or Leo without laughing; and I'm unable to think of Sweet Jasmine without shedding a tear. At the same time I shed a tear for Sweet Jasmine; I'm so content to know that she found kindness and love in this world.One of the biggest surprises I found after reading this book was the feeling I had this morning. I walked my dogs down to the beach where I live in San Diego as I do every morning; and I thought that I would look down on them as they waited for their treats and think about how lucky they are to have a "sucker" like me as their human. Instead; I thought about how lucky I am to have them. This book left me with a peaceful feeling that there are others like me out there who devote a good chunk of their lives to enriching the lives of this sweet; goofy and loyal breed.I can't forget to point out that Jim Gorant is another new hero for me. He actually took the time to document this case; and he "gets it". There are portions of the book where he peeks into the mind of what a dog must feel; and it is touching. He also enlightens us on where the money goes with rescue organizations; and he shines a light on organizations that wanted nothing to do with saving these dogs; they just wanted a sound bite on CNN (I'm talking to you PETA!!!). Gorant is just an excellent writer; his descriptions of these dogs and their goofy behavior hit close to home with me. So Bravo Mr. Gorant. Excellent job.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A great read; Jim Gorant did an excellent jobBy LynnHard to read at times; images are still in my head and probably will never go away. Even though the Michael Vick incident happened several years ago; I just now read this book. A great read; Jim Gorant did an excellent job; at times too well; depicting the situation these dogs were in. My heart breaks that any canine should be treated in such a way; the horror is just overwhelming. Dog abuse/neglect/fighting is a despicable crime and needs much stricter penalties. I am so grateful to all the rescue groups (BAD RAP; Best Friends; etc) who stepped up and did all they could to try to rectify the situation these dogs were in and give them the best possible life. My pit bull is a shelter dog; and I know they understand we have rescued them and the bond is even greater. There is no dog like a pit bull!!!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beautifully written from both dog human perspectives.By Jim SchumacherI've been a dog lover my entire life. However; I didn't know much about pitbulls; other than from "Our Gang" seeing old WWII posters; so unlike those who believe the mainstream media; when the Vick case broke; I did some actual research; much like Jim did for this book. I found exactly what he did; this is "America's" dog; the "American Pitbull Terrier" epitomizes what America stands for; their loyalty and compassion is second to none. In doing so; and after watching the Vick headlines; I had to see if I could help one; albeit a few years later once I moved into a house. I was lucky and found an 8 week old black white pup that fit in my hand; Freya is now a fully grown 60 pound goofball. She was much luckier than all the Vick dogs; she was taken in by a rescue with her 7 brothers sisters mom; directly from the pound to a foster home; so she's had a comparatively "easy" life; which I am proud that she picked me to be part of.Jim tells their story from both the dog human point of view; he; very successfully; gives voice to all the souls involved. While their story is filled with heartache; which can be very difficult to read; it is well worth the journey as the hope they offer an otherwise doomed species (I'm referring to humans; not pits) may very well help us to become a better species.
