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Prelude to freedom…

Author:  Andrew Delbanco

War Before the War coverCourage beyond belief.  Conventional accounts give most of the credit to President Lincoln and the doggedly determined abolitionists in the North.  But historian Andrew Delbanco makes a convincing argument that it was brave runaway slaves that were really the driving force that finally brought an end to slavery in the United States.  Their repeated escapes to freedom in the North frequently generated news and clogged the courts, keeping the abolitionist fires burning.  By distressing the northerners, many of whom would have just gone on ignoring slavery’s existence,  and by enraging the southerners, who wanted their “property” back, the daring fugitive slaves played an essential role in fueling the many conflicts that led up to the Civil War.  Delbanco presents the entire story in an impressively readable account entitled The War Before the War.

Harriet Tubman photo

Harriet Tubman from Maryland, circa 1870.

But the story goes beyond courage.  The author also focuses on the timely idea of comity.  For a democracy to function properly, those holding opposing viewpoints have to find a way to retain some measure of respect for each other.   If this fragile concept falls apart, it doesn’t take long for a nation to start cracking under the strain.  Delbanco vividly details the 19th century version of this gradual descent into chaos, revealing plenty of parallels for those reading in the 21st.

John C. Calhoun photo

John C. Calhoun from South Carolina, in 1849.

It’s a time period that doesn’t get much attention, but there’s absolutely nothing boring about this history.  As the fledgling country heads towards war, Delbanco skillfully builds suspense throughout.  Displaying a remarkably engaging writing style, he repeatedly impressed me with his ability to get in the heads of the various players: the enslaved, the abolitionists, the slavery supporters and those muddled in between.    He frequently had me wondering:  What would I have done?

But it’s not just great storytelling.  Delbanco displays a shrewd understanding of the pitfalls of 20/20 hindsight.  Given that we know how it turns out, it all seems so obvious.  Lincoln and the abolitionists are heroes now, but it easily could have turned out completely differently.  For those living through it, even those adamantly opposed and appalled by slavery, it wasn’t at all clear which pathway would finally lead to freedom for everyone.  Given that we’re still fighting some of the same battles almost two centuries later, it’s pretty obvious that we still don’t know what we’re doing.

Full of the stories of unrestrained bravery, troubling compromise and resolute compassion, The War Before the War is daringly entertaining history writing.  The award-winning Delbanco manages to deftly balance the account without every losing track of the individuality of each conflicted, confused, criminal or courageous participant.  Highly recommended.

— D. Driftless

Check out Dave’s reviews of other books about slavery:   The Slave Ship   /   The Wanderer   /   The Half Has Never Been Told   /   Never Caught   /   The Counter-Revolution of 1776   /   Twelve Years a Slave

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