The Looming Conflict

This collection of six essays incorporates both historical narrative and firsthand reporting by the author. They focus on the central role that struggle over slavery and freedom played in the politics that led to secession and war. They include articles on the Underground Railroad, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, John Brown, the rivalry between James Buchanan and Thaddeus Stevens, the attack on Fort Sumter, and the battle of Fort Wagner, the first waged by black Union troops. These essays first appeared in Smithsonian Magazine.