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To: detective

This is an excellent book (posthumous Pulitzer Prize) on the long run up to the Civil War:

The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861 by David M. Potter

The book is available at Amazon for as little as $9.00 used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061319295/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A lot of reviews on the Amazon website, so I won’t repeat them here.

Instead of 1832, Professor Potter begins with the US victory over Mexico in 1848 because of the effect that adding so much new territory to the southwestern United States had on fanning the already smoldering Free State/Slave State political powder keg into full flame. But, be warned, this is a book about events leading up to the Civil War. The war itself is only briefly mentioned in a scant few paragraphs on the last two pages of the book.

I have yet to see a decent treatment of the state militia movement in the years prior to the war. It was critical - especially for the South - in getting forces into the field quickly and was the mechanism by which many units were raised, trained, and equipped in the 1861-1863 time period.


30 posted on 05/01/2017 3:02:29 PM PDT by Captain Rhino (Determined effort today forges tomorrow.)
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To: Captain Rhino

“This is an excellent book (posthumous Pulitzer Prize) on the long run up to the Civil War:
The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861 by David M. Potter”

I have read it. It is a very good book.

Read about the Knights of the Golden Circle. It provides a great deal of insight into the cause of the Civil War.

Also read The Road to Disunion: Volume II: Secessionists Triumphant, 1854-1861 by William Freehling.


34 posted on 05/01/2017 3:10:50 PM PDT by detective
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