1857-1861

Contains key facts about the life of James Buchanan from his childhood to his retirement, focusing on his political career and his term as the fifteenth president of the United States. Includes a timeline, information on the office of the president, and resources for further research.

"Tells the story of the election of 1860 and the immediate and lasting effects it had on a nation on the brink of Civil War"--Provided by publisher.

Examines the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas over the topic of slavery in the summer and fall of 1858 and explores the purpose of democracy.

Examines Abraham Lincoln's pre-presidential address at Cooper Union, New York, in February 1860, placing the speech in the context of the times and discussing how Lincoln used the speech to continue his debates with rival Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.

Draws on personal and newspaper accounts, diary records, and folklore to present double portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, discussing how the two became kindred spirits, despite their profound differences in position and circumstance during the Civil War.

Examines the seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858. Discusses how these two men and their ideas represented America's quandary over the purpose of a democracy, and that this dilemma would not only lead to the Civil War, but to conflicts throughout America's future.

A selection of two speeches and seven debates originally published in The political debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in the senatorial campaign of 1858 in Illinois.

A study of America in 1857, covering all the major crises of the eventful year, including a bank panic, a threatened Mormon rebellion, and the Dred Scott decision; looking at the state of the country in mid-century; and focusing on the political frauds perpetrated by proslavery Kansans, aided by President Buchanan, in their attempts to make the Kansas Territory a slave state.

Chronicles the 1860 presidential race that elected Republican Abraham Lincoln over Democrat Stephen Douglas, discussing the events and key players, and describing how Lincoln was able win over more prominent members of his party and with a low percentage of the popular vote.

Provides an account of Abraham Lincoln's leadership during the winter of 1860 and 1861, exploring Lincoln's plan to limit the spread of slavery and preserve the union.