The Zealot and the Emancipator

Autori

• H.W. Brands

Parametri

• 480 pagine
• 17 ore di lettura

• Biografie
• Politica
• Saggistica
• Scienze politiche & Politica
• Tema stórico

Maggiori informazioni sul libro

What do moral people do when democracy allows evil? This question emerged in mid-nineteenth-century America during the slavery struggle. John Brown's response was violence, which some later labeled terrorism. A deeply religious man, he believed he was commanded by God to eradicate slavery. When Congress opened Kansas to slavery, Brown rallied followers to wage war against it. One night, his men brutally killed proslavery settlers as a grim warning. Three years later, Brown and his group attacked the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, aiming to arm slaves for a race war to eliminate slavery. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln advocated for political solutions. An ambitious lawyer, he read the Bible not for moral guidance but as a writer's tool. Although he opposed slavery, he deemed it unworthy of bloodshed. Distancing himself from Brown, Lincoln joined the moderate antislavery Republican party and cautiously plotted his political ascent. However, he couldn't escape the violence unleashed by Brown. After being arrested and executed, Brown was hailed as a martyr in the North, while Southerners viewed him as a terrorist. Lincoln's attempts at moderation failed as seven Southern states seceded. His resistance led to the Civil War, which evolved from a fight for the Union into the war against slavery that Brown had sought to ignite. Ultimately, slavery was abolished, but Lincoln's belief in democracy's ability to resolve moral crises peac

Lingua: Inglese

Pubblicato: 2021

(In brossura)