Conflict and Compromise: The Political Economy of Slavery, Emancipation and the American Civil War

by Roger L. Ransom

No series of events had a more dramatic impact on the course of American history than the Civil War and the emancipation of four million slaves. This book examines the economic and political factors that led to the attempt by Southerners to dissolve the Union in 1860 and the equally determined effort of Northerners to preserve it. A central thesis of the book is that slavery not only "caused" the Civil War by producing tensions that could not be resolved by compromise; the slave system also played a crucial role in the outcome of the war by crippling the Southern war effort at the same time that emancipation became a unifying cause for the North. The author looks at a century of sectional conflict over slavery and reveals a great irony of the American Civil War. The South suffered a bitter defeat in a war to protect the institution of slavery, even though it is likely that the Constitution of the United States offered the best protection for a slave system. And, despite the abolition of slavery in the United States, equality for Black Americans remained a distant dream.

Genres: History, American Civil War, Nonfiction, Civil War

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Aaron Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating angle on Civil War history - a sophisticated, nuanced exploration of how the politics and economics of black slavery influenced each other before, during and after the war - written by a uniquely qualified author. I was highly engaged from start to end, but the tone is squarely on the dry side, and I was hungry for a bit more wit. While I was reading it, a friend came over for a party, saw it on my side table, and said, "Wow, I read that in graduate school!" Which totally makes sense. It's a book that rewards a self-motivated learner, but also one that most people probably wouldn't elect to read by choice. If you're not daunted by an element of "homeworkiness," you will get some new clarity and insight into why America is the way it is.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent synthesis of research in economic and political history

[Evan Escobar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a well written book; but not the most interesting text on the Civil War.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for my American History gen-ed course in college. To a non-history person, this is very dry reading about a topic which should be fraught with controversy. But this takes a very objective view of the Civil War and the Reconstruction era of American History, so only really good for research papers or true history enthusiasts.