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The war Before the war : : Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul From the Revolution to the Civil War

Delbanco, Andrew, 1952- Book - 2018 Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Delbanco, Andrew, 973.711 De 1 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 5 out of 5

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Call Number: Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Delbanco, Andrew, 973.711 De
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Westgate Adult Books
4-week checkout 		Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Delbanco, Andrew 4-week checkout On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout 		973.711 De 4-week checkout Due 05-09-2024

Explains how fugitive slaves escaping from the South to the northern states awakened northerners to the true nature of slavery and how the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act divided the nation and set it on the path to civil war.

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Excellent book submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 20, 2020, 3:16pm 5/5 stars. Delblanco’s The War Before the War was so information-dense that I really had to read it slowly, but it was very well written and I learned an enormous amount from it. My biggest take-away is that so much that seems clear from our perspective now, post Civil-War and post-slavery, was not inevitable to the people who were building this country. Decisions made during those times were framed against a different backdrop that requires historical context, and understanding it enlightens much. This history of the fight against enslaving humans runs from the founding of the country to the Civil War itself, and is wonderfully written. If you like history or want a deeper understanding, this is an excellent book.