Abolitionism and the Civil War in Southwestern Illinois

by John J. Dunphy

Southwestern Illinois played a fierce and pivotal role in the national drama of a house divided against itself. St. Clair County sheltered Brooklyn, founded by freed and fugitive slaves and a vital link on the Underground Railroad. Alton was the home of Elijah Lovejoy, gunned down defending his press from an anti-abolitionist mob, as well as Lyman Trumbull, who wrote the Thirteenth Amendment. After the outbreak of war, Alton's prison was packed with thousands of Confederate captives, a smallpox epidemic and the cross-dressing double agent Mary Anne Pitman. John J. Dunphy continues the story of the Civil War and abolitionism beyond the Emancipation Proclamation and Appomattox, seeking out the enduring legacy those struggles left in his corner of Illinois.

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2011

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up at an historic book store in Alton, Illinois owned by the author who let my family know a little of the building's history as an Underground Railroad destination. That type of interesting history is peppered throughout this easy read.

[Kathleen Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about the history of Southern Illinois and its impact on the growth and development of the United States.