Stephen A. Douglas: Defender of the Union

Library of American Biography

by Gerald M. Capers

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Biography

239 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1959

About the author

Gerald Mortimer Capers was educated at Southwestern at Memphis, and Yale University. He taught history at Yale and Tulane University, retiring from the latter institution as emeritus professor of history.

Reviews

[Gerald Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about a leader who tried so hard to hold the union of states together prior to the civil war.

I was disappointed the book didn't more fully describe Douglas's ownership of slaves and how he abused them through his manager.

[Peter Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not a saint nor a moral idealogue, this book shows Stephen as he was - a patriot bent on upholding the union in the face of unprecedented and as yet unsurpassed toxic political division. While generally spoken of as a foil to Abraham Lincoln, Stephen arguably had a longer, more productive, and more successful tenure in holding the union together - at times seemingly single-handedly. Lincoln was able to sustain the union through a civil war because there was a union at the time of his election to sustain. And that is thanks in large part to Stephen Douglas' indefatigable efforts to that end.

Definitely worth the read if at all interested in US history, and arguably should be read if interested in US current events, as Douglas' example of working for good within a vitriolic political environment is an encouraging narrative in the midst of today's troubled political scene.