Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln's Vital Rival

by Walter Stahr

An NPR Best Book of 2022

From an acclaimed New York Times bestselling biographer, an “eloquently written, impeccably researched, and intensely moving” ( The Wall Street Journal ) reassessment of Abraham Lincoln’s indispensable Secretary of the Treasury: a leading proponent for black rights during his years in cabinet and later as Chief Justice of the United States.

Salmon P. Chase is best remembered as a rival of Lincoln’s for the Republican nomination in 1860—but there would not have been a national Republican Party, and Lincoln could not have won the presidency, were it not for the groundwork Chase laid over the previous two decades. Starting in the early 1840s, long before Lincoln was speaking out against slavery, Chase was forming and leading antislavery parties. He represented fugitive slaves so often in his law practice that he was known as the attorney general for runaway negroes.

Tapped by Lincoln to become Secretary of the Treasury, Chase would soon prove vital to the Civil War effort, raising the billions of dollars that allowed the Union to win the war while also pressing the president to recognize black rights. When Lincoln had the chance to appoint a chief justice in 1864, he chose his faithful rival because he was sure Chase would make the right decisions on the difficult racial, political, and economic issues the Supreme Court would confront during Reconstruction.

Drawing on previously overlooked sources, Walter Stahr offers a “revelatory” ( The Christian Science Monitor ) new look at the pivotal events of the Civil War and its aftermath, and a “superb” (James McPherson), “magisterial” (Amanda Foreman) account of a complex forgotten man at the center of the fight for racial justice in 19th century America.

Genres: Biography, History, Civil War, Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, American History

832 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://thebestbiographies.com/2022/0...

Anyone who has read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s riveting biography of Abraham Lincoln is familiar with Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873). He was a passionate anti-slavery voice, a U.S. Senator, Governor of Ohio, helped establish the Republican Party, served as Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court…and was the inspiration behind a large piece of what is now J.P. Morgan Chase.

This author’s fondness – almost reverence – for Chase is obvious from the book’s first pages and is occasionally distracting. But if Stahr works too hard in early chapters to position Chase as a more progressive thinker than his contemporaries (including Abraham Lincoln) at least the claim is convincingly-argued.

Almost every aspect of Chase’s life is subject to thorough scrutiny, but there are important people and moments that are frustratingly elusive. Notable examples: Chase’s wives (there were three), the Republican convention that nominated Lincoln for president (a nomination Chase had sought), and Lincoln’s cabinet selection process which landed Chase at the head of the Treasury Department.

A lack of historical evidence is responsible for Stahr’s brevity where Chase’s wives are concerned. But fans of Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” will be surprised to find that virtually none of the animated intensity she injected into her narrative found its way into Stahr’s version of the same events.

And while Chase’s career was impressive, it can be assumed that his personality did not often result in his being the life of a party. So while Stahr’s insight and analysis is consistently impressive, the narrative is often dry and lacks the literary joie de vivre that makes the very best biographies so utterly engrossing.

But this biography’s merits far outweigh its weaknesses. Stahr is consistently careful to provide context for new places, events and situations – important for readers unfamiliar with Chase or his era. He handles complex, and often arcane, topics adroitly. And he embeds dozens of photographs and images throughout the text – each placed in context-appropriate locations rather than being grouped together arbitrarily.

Readers with an interest in the topic of slavery will find this a valuable and wonderfully expansive history of the anti-slavery movement – particularly as seen from Chase’s perspective. And Stahr pays close attention to his subject’s early career as a lawyer when he enthusiastically defended escaped slaves as well as people prosecuted for assisting them.

Finally, while Chase’s decade on the Supreme Court can make for dry reading, these chapters are both insightful and incisive. Most readers will find the comparison of the Supreme Court of Chase’s time and of today to be fascinating. And a chapter discussing the impeachment of Andrew Johnson (again, largely from Chase’s judicial point-of-view) is memorably interesting.

Overall, Walter Stahr’s biography of Salmon Chase proves itself a very good biography of an important 19th-century political figure. While Stahr isn’t able to fully overcome his subject’s reserved demeanor and dry style, readers with a modicum of persistence will find this an unusually sober, thoughtful and penetrating biography. And it might be exactly the biography Salmon Chase deserves.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

[Porter Broyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book. I really enjoyed Stahr's Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man and Stanton: Lincoln's Staunch Secretary of War. I eagerly looked forward to reading the book on Chase.

Chase is such an enigmatic character and so important to America, that I've felt that he needed a good modern biography.

Unfortunately, this book feel short.

The subtitle of the book, "Lincoln's Vital Rival," accurately portrays what this book could have been about. Chase was an uncharismatic, oportunist who saw himself as superior to just about everybody around him.

While other members of Lincoln's cabinet believed that they were more qualified than Lincoln when Lincoln was elected, they came to see the wisdom of Lincoln. Chase never did. Chase always believed that he could do Lincoln's job and do it better than Lincoln---or Seward.

Chase clashed with others. Chase was brilliant. He was sophisticated. He was educated. He was cultured. And he knew it. He knew that he was better than those around him. Especially some uneducated hick out of Illinois.

This does not come out in Stahr's book. If Stahr is arguing that Chase's character has been maligned over the years, then that is fine---but tell us or better yet show us. Instead, the incidents in Chases life are merely mentioned without any sense of importance or emotion.

By presenting "just the facts type of history" the book lacked depth.

I don't know who Chase was anymore now than I did when I started the book.

There were times where Chase became frustrated with Lincoln because he felt that Lincoln couldn't see what was obvious or refused to do what he thought Lincoln should do.

Instead of exploring how Chase pushed Lincoln or tried to force his hand to act, Stahr paints a portrait of a person who is simply happy that Lincoln finally acts or blaise thinks, "That's not how I would have done it."

I was hoping for a book that showed me how Chase was Lincoln's Vital Rival.

This is so disappointing because Stahr's books on Seward and Stanton were so good. I gave both of them 5 star reviews.

[Dee Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible credit 27 hours 27 min. Narrated byTimothy Andre Pabon (B)

After watching an interview with the author Walter Stahr, I was greatly impressed with his background in financial law that I decided to give one of his biographies a chance. I didn't make a mistake by listening to this one first after hearing the sample narrator for the other two about Lincoln's cabinet. As one listener wrote, "A bad narrator can ruin a good book." This is read by a different narrator. The last biography I read Truman was by David McCullough and was easily a 5 star read, and I hoped this be as well..I guess I have set the bar too high!

Salmon P. Chase was from a very large family left in poverty after the early death of his father yet he became a proud graduate of Dartmouth College. He moved to Cincinatti, Ohio to live with an uncle and loved the West. Chase became a Christian while at Dartmouth, but his faith grew as he faced numerous sorrows in his life including the deaths at early ages of three wives and four of his six children and all of his brothers and sisters. Rather than turning from God, these devastations drew Chase closer to the Lord.

From his first years as a lawyer, Chase became convinced about the great evil of slavery and especially the evil of the practice of capturing escaped slaves and returning them to owners. Since Cinn. was just across the river from the slave state of Kentucky, many slaves were able to freely walk off riverboats to the free state of Ohio. Chase's earler practice was largely devoted to defending slaves albeit unsuccessfully because of the Fugitive Slave Act. He supported himself by his work as a lawyer for two banks. Chase could see that as the country added new states, slavery was was becoming a growing problem. As the population of slaves increased to 4 million and growing and the white population of slave states was stagnate about 300,00. The slave states controlled not only the both houses of Congress and the presidency and thereby the Supreme Court, it was going to take something special to end slavery. Chase was determined to be a leader in achieving freedom and rights for blacks.

Chase was an activist and great letter writer, speech giver and was instrumental in the formation of the Republican Party. He was also ambitious and thought he could do a great work as President. When Lincoln was nominated instead, Chase was disappointed but threw himself into the work of getting Lincoln elected. This is exactly what the slave states chose as an excuse to leave the Union. President Lincoln asked Senator Chase to take on the duties of Secretary of the Tresury which wasn't where Chase felt he could be of most help. He put aside his own desires and again threw himself into paying for the Civil War. He is credited for taking a government already in debt and bringing it through the war years successfully. Unlike in Revolutionary War, the men who fought received pay as long as Chase had money in the Treasury and bills for goods and services also were paid because of his creative plans for financing. He created a national currency (bank notes) and national banks. He also created a national income tax which did little at the time to raise revenue.

Toward the end of the war, after a disagreement with Lincoln over the appointment of Chase's right hand man and Lincoln's failure to support his choice, (and the 1864 election upcoming) Chase submitted his resignation and Lincoln accepted it., Lincoln then appointed Chase Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Once again Chase had desired the presidency but again wasn't nominated. It was Chase who held the Bible and swore in Lincoln for a second term, and after Lincoln''s death it was a disconsolate Chase who swore Johnson as President. Chase tried to help with Reconstruction through the courts. Chase hoped to run as president in 1868 but could not get support by either the Republicans who wanted Grant or even by the Democrats. Again he was to administer the oath of office to Grant two times. This was a bitter pill for a man who by many was thought to be more qualified than Grant including Chase himself.

The one thing from which Chase took most comfort was to see slavery abolished and civil rights granted along with the right to vote. He rightly deserves to be called "The American Wilbur Wilberforce." Salmon P. Chase served 2 terms as governor of Ohio, was elected twice as senator for Ohio, served as Secretary of the Tresury, and as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but never achieved the position he most coveted President of the United States.

The author presented an objective view of Chase and his life. Throughout the book he offered questions about Chases's actions and even more the content of his letters. The last chapter reviewed the positive and negatives of his life. Chase may have had his detractors, but no one ever questioned his high moral standards. I really learned much about the politics before and after the Civil War, but most of all I learned that Chase was the driving force that brought about the end of slavery. Without his constant letters and conversations, Lincoln may not have taken his action as early as he did.
One last point, Salmon Portland Chase was named for an uncle and never liked his name and never wanted any child named after him! He even thought about changing his name when he was at Dartmouth. .

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very good biography of Salmon P. Chase. It is well researched and written. The author delves into how Chase developed into a strong antislavery advocate early in his life and his subsequent attempts to end the practice through various political parties in which he participated and help develop. He served as Secretary of the Treasury during Lincoln’s terms in office and was also Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He was not an overly complicated man, but his personal life was marred by tragedy a number of time. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in learning about one of the main characters in Lincoln’s Team of Rivals.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

[Kenneth Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Walter Stahr. I have previously read "Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man" and "Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary," both excellent biographies and this one is no less.

Salmon P. Chase was Lincoln's rival for the Republican nomination for president in 1860. Chase had been vital in forming what would be the Republican party which nominated Lincoln. A lawyer who represented fugitive slaves, he was a U. S Senator, a governor of Ohio and Chase served Lincoln as his secretary of the Treasury before being appointed to be the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Throughout all this time, Chase had an overwhelming desire to be president of the United States, a goal he never achieved.

Chase's early life was filled with sorrow because of the deaths of 3 wives and 3 of his children, yet he continued pressing onward.

While familiar with his name and the time in which he lived, I was largely ignorant of how Chase's influence in the Treasury Department and on the Supreme Court continue to this day. His Supreme Court opinions are often quoted today.

Chase had a ringside seat to a tumultuous time in our country. He long supported abolishing slavery and giving equal rights, including the right to vote, to the freed slaves. He mourned with the country when Lincoln was assassinated and administered the oath of office to Lincoln's vice-president. He was not a supporter of President Andrew Johnson's unfair implementation of reconstruction. He presided over the first impeachment trial of a U. S. president, a trial in which Johnson was acquitted.

Following Chases' death in 1873 his body lay in state in a New York City church where 4,000 t0 5,000 filed past the open coffin from "All classes of the community," including, "bankers, merchants, professional men, mechanics, laborers." Many of the mourners were black showing the high esteem in which the black community held Chase.

Chases' coffin was then transported by train to Washington, D. C. the closed coffin was placed on the same black catafalque that served Abraham Lincoln. One report estimated that 7,000 people paid their respects and another reported the number as "fully 10,000. Once again many were black.

After reading this book, I am convinced that Salmon P. Chase should be ranked as one of the great Americans of his time.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: A biography tracing the life of this public figure who was a contender along with Lincoln for the presidency and who played a vital role in his cabinet, and then as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

He was one of Lincoln’s rivals for the Republican nomination for president in 1860 and served in his cabinet, financing the Union war effort as the Secretary of the Treasury. But there was far more to the life of this public servant that makes him well worth the full length biography Walter Stahr has given us.

Born a New Englander and Dartmouth educated, after reading for the bar exam, he moved to Cincinnati and was strongly identified with Ohio’s politics thereafter. From Cincinnati’s leading attorney, he served twice in the U.S. Senate from Ohio and four years as Ohio’s governor. From defending fugitive slaves to becoming one of the leading anti-slavery advocates of the day, Chase sought to curb the spread of slavery and was far out in front of Lincoln and almost every white of his day in his advocacy for the equality of Blacks, not only arguing for their freedom but for their rights to vote and fully participate in society. It was one of the factors that cost him the presidential nomination

Setting aside his own ambitions, he campaigned vigorously for Lincoln in 1860, and then answered Lincoln’s call to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury. Not only did he find the resources through loans and taxes to finance the war effort, he reformed the country’s banking system and gave us a common currency rather than the myriad of banknotes issued by different banks. He employed women to work in the treasury. His advice to Lincoln went beyond the nation’s finances to counselling the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1864, he set aside presidential ambitions once again to accept Lincoln’s nomination to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice, a role that would be critical in post-war cases on the rights of Blacks, America’s financial system, and the relation of the states to the Union. He would preside over the first presidential impeachment in U.S. history, helping establish precedents followed in more recent impeachments after his efforts to save Johnson from himself failed.

At least three things stood out to me in Stahr’s biography. One is that Chase is worthy to be considered America’s William Wilberforce. His anti-slavery advocacy was early and never wavered, though often disregarded or thwarted. Second, he was deeply acquainted with tragedy, burying three wives and several children and the unhappy marriage of his daughter Katherine. Third, was that he was a man of deep religious faith, that undergirded his efforts and sustained him in loss.

All of this makes Chase one of the most noteworthy public servants of this period in American history, despite an odd first name that Chase counseled his daughter not to pass on. Stahr portrays Chase as a man of ambition and yet not an overweening ambition. He both recognized when the first place would go to others and also when the public good required setting aside his private ambitions. Although he had no role in its founding, Chase bank bears his name in recognition of the important role he played in the nation’s finances and banking system.

He died comparatively young at age 65. But it was a life well and fully lived, as Stahr’s biography attests. He was a workhorse in the nation’s service, whether in criss-crossing the country during campaigns, working tirelessly during the war, or writing more opinions than his fellow justices and covering a large circuit when this was part of a justice’s duties. Above all, he was a champion of liberty, for fully realizing the ideals of the nation articulated by Jefferson in the Declaration, for Blacks and for women.

[Andy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is meticulously researched and well balanced. After reading it I came away thinking that Chase has not been treated kindly by history and that he is a great man who was ahead of his time in his opposition to slavery and advocacy for the right to vote for Blacks and whose service as Secretary of Treasury during the Civil War not only was key to the Union's success but also set the foundation for rationale currency and banking law that continues to benefit the United States. That the author, Walter Stahr, discusses Chase's occasional flaws such as his personal ambition leading him astray during the 1868 Presidential election gives more credibility to the thesis of the book.
Chase was outspoken against slavery and for voting rights and civil rights for Blacks in Ohio in the 1840s. As a lawyer he represented many escaped slaves and allies for free. As a political leader he led the way for Blacks getting the right to vote in Ohio. In 1845, Chase received a silver pitcher from the free Blacks of Cincinnati to thank him for his legal work. In accepting it he urged an amendment to the Ohio constitution to guarantee the right for Blacks to vote. That speech and his work was used against Chase for the rest of his life.
As Senator, Chase argued against the Compromise of 1850. History has proved Chase right but the proponents such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster have been lionized while Chase and other opponents have been dismissed as "radicals" Chase did have ambition but that is hardly unique. And while I came away admiring the views and record of Chase much more than that of Lincoln, I still believe that Lincoln was the right choice for President, he was better able to unite the country during its greatest crisis. However, Lincoln was a better President because of the pressure by Chase and others for abolition and civil rights. Chase continued his advocacy during Reconstruction, he was one of the "Radicals" pushing for civil rights and protections though he had a nuanced view on military reconstruction. His actions during the 1868 Presidential election are disappointing, he tried to get the Democratic nomination after it was clear that the Republicans were going to nominate Grant and in almost a pout he sat out the general election. But even here he later conceded that Grant was much better on Reconstruction than he feared
The biography also discusses Chase's record as Chief Justice after Lincoln appointed him to replace Taney. Many of his decisions are still cited. And while today we may cringe at his crossing the lines between the roles of Chief Justice and advocacy in the political arena, it was a different time when the lines were not so clear, and it is clear that his heart was in the right place

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Walter Stahr’s previous works about other cabinet members of President Lincoln (Seward and Stanton). I knew even less about Chase than the other two, but was surprised and delighted in this excellent book to get introduced to this pivotal figure. He was an early and ardent antislavery advocate in Cincinnati who represented fugitive slaves in a variety of high profile (but mostly unsuccessful) cases, earning adulation from the black community. He engaged politically in different parties of the era (Whig, Liberty, Know-Nothings, Free Soil, Free Democrats) ultimately helping to found the Republican Party, but gravitating to the Democratic Party late in his career. A US Senator for Ohio (back then, elected by State legislatures), and two term Governor of Ohio, his name was put forward for the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, along with Seward, but they both lost out to a little known newcomer named Abe Lincoln (who arrived late to the antislavery cause compared to Chase.) After getting elected, Lincoln named both to his Cabinet, with Seward at State and Chase at Treasury. Chase thoroughly proved his worth by raising and managing the funds the US desperately needed to prosecute the war against the Confederacy. He also created for the first time a nationwide currency (previously a haphazard patchwork of state and private banks issued banknotes) and he created a national bank system to remedy other issues that resulted from that system. Despite periodic disagreements with Lincoln that led to his resignation, Lincoln named him as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when he was re-elected. He presided over the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson and swore in Presidents Lincoln, Johnson, and Grant. His personal life was dampened by the loss of his three wives and two of his four children who died, and he died at age 65 after only eight years on the high court.

[John Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the entire book except for the chapter notes at the end. It's outstanding. Meticulous research. Gave me some further insight into Lincoln and the civil war period. I think the national anti slavery movement cannot be adequately grasped in this 1840 to 1863 period without reading about Chase's life. I'm originally from Illinois so wanted to understand Lincoln's contemporaries. I already read an extensive biography of Lincoln before reading this book.

I came to understand what a pivotal role Chase had establishing the national banking system and national currency we have today. In God we trust, on our paper currency came from Chase.

This book is included for further reading in the excellent Wikipedia article about SP Chase.

I liked the section near the end of the book, where Stahr took time to connect several of Chase's Supreme Court decisions to their citing in subsequent cases in the late 20th and 21st centuries. It showed his jurisprudence is relevant today.

[Charles Korb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the genre of biography where a less-known historical figure and reveal that they actually were much closer to modern morals than you'd expect. This is one of those.

The story of Chase's work to free the slaves within the existing constitutional system, even though he got smacked down so many times, is really heartwarming.

It also made me a little more sympathetic to the moral quagmires of the Civil War. It's easy nowadays to say it was all about slavery and there was a clear right and wrong (don't get me wrong, this is basically true) but Lincoln and his cabinet were working hard to come up with ways to end the with a smaller loss of life, even if that meant compromising on slavery some.

Anyway, though this is a massive tome, I enjoyed how you got to see how the discussion of slavery evolved over one man's life, and have that many be instrumental in many of the changes.

[Robert Pozil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had always known the name, Chase - as associated with the banking world, but never heard of Salmon Chase before. What a fascinating history lesson, learning about this influential person during the Civil War era. Very informative (the author clearly collected a wealth of content) and interesting for history buffs. Its a long read, but for people intrigued by this subject matter... well worth it!

[Ray Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really smart take on a forgotten man in American history.

[Nancy Istenes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for a book club but I do not recommend. Very lengthy, dry and repetitive, you would be better off reading the Wikipedia summary of him.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great biography on a less recognizable but no less distinguished Statesman.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down.

Stahr goes a good job on the "just the facts" stuff, including looking at all of Chase's tenure as Chief Justice. He also does a good job on Chase's early life.

But on the stuff of history beyond the "just the facts," i.e., analysis, etc.? A semi-failure. Maybe a full failure. DEFINITELY "holystoning," which I feared from the introduction.

First, the 1860 GOP convention. Stahr never asks WHY Chase didn't have a Thurlow Weed of years' acquaintance, like Seward, or even a David Davis or Leonard Sweatt like Lincoln. He doesn't ask WHY Chase expected to perform better than he actually did.

Second, per another three-star reviewer, he never asks WHY Chase continued, to the day of his resignation, to think himself smarter than Lincoln.

Third, from what I've read elsewhere, including Robert Levine and Brenda Wineapple Chase's rulings, and general actions, while presiding over Andy Johnson's impeachment trial were generally bad to horrible and also generally politicially motivated. Stahr ignores the first and soft-sells the second.

Fourth, he soft-sells just how much Chase angled for the 1868 Democratic nomination. Oh, we get the just the facts, but not the analysis.

Fifth? This is all true in spades and on steroids of Chase's angling for the 1872 Liberal Republican nomination.

I mean, this is the guy who founded the Liberty Party! And already by 1868, he's willing to throw most of his principle vis a vis Black civil rights under the bus because, as many a Civil War historian knows, he had been "bitten by the presidential bug." I mean, Lincoln said when nominating him as Chief Justice that he doubted that would cure his ailments.

Combine that with the fact that he was willing to declare himself a Democrat again because he was that wedded to Jacksonian limited government, even to removing the military mailed fist that was a protector of those Black civil rights.

Beyond the presidential bug itself, Chase was in many ways, IMO, what Churchill said of the Soviet Union: "A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Maybe that prevents us from knowing yet more about Chase the person, but Stahr won't even show us that Chase was indeed that riddle, mystery, enigma.

There's also one error of note.

I had the feeling by the time I got through the introduction that Stahr would screw up the 1860 GOP convention, and now I wonder if I missed something in his Seward bio. Before that, he screws up the 1860 Democratic convention. (That said, per the above, his coverage of the 1860 GOP convention is fairly shallow, even allowing for Chase not winning.) There were NOT two separate conventions in Charleston. Rather, due to the two-thirds rule, which he gives the appearance of not understanding, nobody was nominated. Some Southerners walked out of Charleston, but did not caucus or form a second convention, and even had they been there, Stephen A. Douglas would not have been nominated. After 57 ballots, the convention voted to adjourn and reconvene in Baltimore in six weeks.

At Baltimore, after a seating dispute, many Southern delegates walked out. Douglas had about 90 percent of the remaining, but the chairman had ruled in Charleston that he needed two-thirds of ALL delegates, not just those present and voting. Without even that 202 available en toto, the convention voted to overturn the Charleston ruling.

THEN Southern Dems had their own Baltimore convention.

If not for his work on Chase as chief justice, this would have been a flat 2 stars.

UPDATE: If you want a more accurate portrayal of Chase, re his lack of political acumen, his "trimming," even in the Liberty Party, and a reminder that he, like Lincoln, supported colonization (though perhaps not to the end of his life, unlike Lincoln) read this mini-biography essay that mentions biographers previous to Stahr.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to start calling it Civil War Tuesday. I’m deep in the 1850s and 1860s these days and I think it is a combination of the current mood of the country and a few new books that have come out that attracted my attention. I’ve had this biography of Chase from Audible for a while and I’ve just started a new job that requires me to be in the office 5 days a week, so it seemed like a good time to start a 27 HOUR book. You read that right, it was a long one, but so worth the listen.

Salmon Chase has not come down through history as one of the more widely recognized name from the Civil War and Lincoln’s cabinet. I think people might be more familiar with William Seward or even Edwin Stanton, but I think Stahr argues, successfully in my opinion, that Chase might have been Lincoln’s most important cabinet head and then, after resigning his position as Secretary of the Treasury, and becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he set the tone for the lawsuits brought as a result of the secession of the Southern states. Chase is the man that figured out how to finance the war, no mean feat in a time before income taxes and a centralized currency. In fact, I would submit that Chase’s plan to provide national charters to state banks, create a single, national currency, and provide local banks to change their notes for legal tender, helped the North not only win the war by allowing the government to borrow money, but it is something that we don’t even question now. Before Chase, there was no US Dollar; today we can thank him for our banking system and the greenbacks that state “In God We Trust.”

Reading Stahr’s book and Roger Lowenstein’s Ways and Mean: Lincoln and His Cabinet and the Financing of the Civil (which also came out in 2022) illustrates a point that we sometimes forget: that paying for the war was not an easy task. If you have any interest in monetary or financial history, I highly recommend reading both of these books.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a history of one of the Civil War era’s more prominent figures, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase. The author, lawyer and historian Walter Stahr, continues his biography of important, but not always well-known, figures from the 19th century. The author covers Chase’s early days as a ground-breaking abolitionist lawyer, his bridging of multiple political fault lines to found the Republican Party as an effective abolitionist instrument, his establishment of the modern U.S. financial system as Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, and his time as Supreme Court Chief Justice in the critical years of reconstruction. Before reading this book, I was unaware that Chase had come from the Democratic party, as opposed to the Whigs; the book demonstrates the bipartisan nature of the contemporary Republican party. Stahr clarifies that Chase is a foundational character to modern America, playing a major role in developing many of the values and institutions we take for granted today. His prominence is all the more impressive given that many of his more lasting contributions tended to counter his own political views (at the time, Democrats were the small-government political faction). Stahr is a great writer, providing an easy-to-read narrative. His background as a lawyer shines through in his detailed descriptions of court cases and other legal proceedings in Chase's career. A great book for understanding the political evolution of pre- and post-Civil War America. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand better the financial systems developed during the Civil War and the important legal cases of the early Reconstruction period.

[David Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Walter Stahr's. Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln's Vital Rival.

A cradle to grave biography on Salmon Chase who was essentially a lifetime abolitionist.

He had an impressive career as a lawyer, early member of the Republican Party, one term U.S. Senator, 2 term Governor of Ohio, Secretary a of Treasury under Abraham Lincoln and was appointed by Lincoln to replace Chief Justice Roger Taney, (infamous author of the Dred Scott decision) and served in this role under Lincoln, Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant until his death in office. The sitting judge for the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial.

A rival of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. Very much like Henry Clay, a great man whose ambition to be President often got ahead of him and hurt his credibility.

Many of us know if Salmon Chase, but this book lays out his character, greatness, ambition and warts. It paints the picture of a Secretary of the Treasury who helped put the U.S. on solid financial footing, helped the foundation of the income tax and let the U.S. emerge economically strong out of the Civil War.

A wonderful 5 star book that comes in at 673 pages if reading. A hearty endorsement.

[John Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A comprehensive, balanced, engagingly written biography of a most remarkable man. Salmon Chase was a big influence on several aspects of American history, politics and law. But I feel his biggest impact was on his views of the evil of slavery. He wasn’t a “go
along to get along” man in this regard, and his courage and forcefulness in speaking about basic human rights for Black Americans in the face of extreme criticism and judgment is truly admirable. The author does an excellent job as well of discussing Chase’s personal life, including so many personal tragedies that could have, but didn’t, deter him from his life of service to his state and to his country.

[Nathan Boyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

When read about Abraham Lincoln, we don't look at his Treasury secretary, Salmon P. Chase. Salmon, deserves his rightful place in American history. Salmon fought for slaves to be frees,for the African American male to have the right to vote,and he was one of the early founders of the Republican party. He also fought hard for the reconstruction amendments to our Constitution. Be served our country with his whole heart. He also stood up and stand up for those who felt less then and who had no voice. If you love American history as much as I do, you will learn so much about someone who deserves recognition as much as we recognize Lincoln.

[John Bicknell · Rating 5 out of 5]

"His life in the anti-slavery movement stands at the heart of the book, an attempt to rescue him from the popular oblivion that often befalls those who fail to become president. It’s a mission that deserves success because Stahr has an important story to tell about Chase’s central role in the on-the-ground political work of the anti-slavery movement and the building of three political parties."

Full review: https://lawliberty.org/book-review/ch...

[David Provost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This readable and well written tome does an excellent job of letting the reader know everything they might want to know about this little known American statesman (maybe too much). It always takes me a long time to read such a densely detailed book, but in this instance I found it well worth that time.

This is the second of Stahr's book that I have read (I also read his tome on Seward) and I think I will put a third biography of a member of Lincoln's cabinet (Stanton) on my to read list.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chase's life covers a broad spectrum of pre civil war abolitionism, Senate work, party building, his work as Lincoln's treasury secretary and Supreme Court justice.

It's somewhat light on his personal life, and there were times I'd have liked more detail about how Chase accomplished things while Treasury secretary. Still a great read and would recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil War era.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mediocre biography of what could be a really interesting subject. Chase was a longtime Democrat but also an abolitionist who was heavily involved in the founding of the Republican Party and a many times almost candidate for president. He was Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice. He had interesting side things going on and his daughter was involved in a bunch of scandals.

The storytelling here is fine. But it could be so much better.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A densely written, thoroughly researched biography, Walter Stahr delivers a portrait of a key member of Lincoln’s cabinet. Salmon Chase fought to abolish slavery and led the fight to create a national currency. This biography honors what he did. Not every page is an easy read, but it is absolutely worth the effort to get a full portrait of this man.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was Chase as boring as this book makes him out to be? And its hard to warm up to a guy who resigned in the middle of the Civil war over a small slight. The boring "just the facts mame" writing style didnt thrill me. Did Stahr really care about the subject or was this just a cash grab?

[Hugh Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent biography. A bit long. Chase is worth knowing about. Listened to it and it was badly narrated. the clarity, voice, and cadence was good but too many mispronounciations, Hiram, adjutant, etc. Things that could been easily checked.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good review of the life of a man who deserves a greater note in the books than is credited him. An imperfect man, but a firm believer in progress and a practical reformer.

[Kirk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much history textbook

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating book illustrating the history of a vitally important man in our history. Along with John Marshall, was one of only two men to serve in all three branches of the federal government: as a Senator, the Treasury Secretary in Lincoln's Cabinet, and as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He was also elected to serve as Governor of Ohio. His passion was the Presidency, and he ran against Lincoln in 1860, again in 1864, and ran from the BENCH in 1868 and 1972. He was never successful.
Chase implemented paper currency during his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury.

He was an anti-slavery crusader long before Lincoln came around and was renowned for fighting in the courtroom for freed slaves and those slaves that made it to free states after the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act.

He was married three times and lost all three wives when they were very young: the first died during childbirth, and two died from consumption. He never remarried after losing his third wife.