Copperheads : The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North
The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North
Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Political Parties, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877)
| Author: | Jennifer L. Weber;James M. McPherson | ISBN: | 9780199885626 |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press, USA | Publication: | October 9, 2006 |
| Imprint: | Oxford University Press, USA | Language: | English |
| Author: | Jennifer L. Weber;James M. McPherson |
| ISBN: | 9780199885626 |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press, USA |
| Publication: | October 9, 2006 |
| Imprint: | Oxford University Press, USA |
| Language: | English |
If Civil War battlefields saw vast carnage the Northern home-front was itself far from tranquil. Fierce political debates set communities on edge spurred secret plots against the Union and triggered widespread violence such as the New York City draft riots. And at the heart of all this turmoil stood Northern anti-war Democrats nicknamed "Copperheads." Now Jennifer L. Weber offers the first full-length portrait of this powerful faction to appear in almost half a century. Weber reveals how the Copperheads came perilously close to defeating Lincoln and ending the war in the South's favor. Indeed by the summer of 1864 they had grown so strong that Lincoln himself thought his defeat was "exceedingly likely." Passionate defenders of civil liberties and states' rights--and often virulent racists--the Copperheads deplored Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus his liberal interpretation of the Constitution and most vehemently his moves toward emancipation. Weber reveals how the battle over these issues grew so heated particularly in the Midwest that Northerners feared their neighbors would destroy their livestock burn their homes even kill them. Indeed some Copperheads went so far as to conspire with Confederate forces and plan armed insurrections including an attempt to launch an uprising during the Democratic convention in Chicago. Finally Weber illuminates the role of Union soldiers who furious at Copperhead attacks on the war effort moved firmly behind Lincoln. The soldiers' support for the embattled president kept him alive politically in his darkest times and their victories on the battlefield secured his re-election. Disgraced after the war the Copperheads melted into the shadows of history. Here Jennifer L. Weber illuminates their dramatic story. Packed with sharp observation and fresh interpretations Copperheads is a gripping account of the fierce dissent that Lincoln called "the fire in the rear.
If Civil War battlefields saw vast carnage the Northern home-front was itself far from tranquil. Fierce political debates set communities on edge spurred secret plots against the Union and triggered widespread violence such as the New York City draft riots. And at the heart of all this turmoil stood Northern anti-war Democrats nicknamed "Copperheads." Now Jennifer L. Weber offers the first full-length portrait of this powerful faction to appear in almost half a century. Weber reveals how the Copperheads came perilously close to defeating Lincoln and ending the war in the South's favor. Indeed by the summer of 1864 they had grown so strong that Lincoln himself thought his defeat was "exceedingly likely." Passionate defenders of civil liberties and states' rights--and often virulent racists--the Copperheads deplored Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus his liberal interpretation of the Constitution and most vehemently his moves toward emancipation. Weber reveals how the battle over these issues grew so heated particularly in the Midwest that Northerners feared their neighbors would destroy their livestock burn their homes even kill them. Indeed some Copperheads went so far as to conspire with Confederate forces and plan armed insurrections including an attempt to launch an uprising during the Democratic convention in Chicago. Finally Weber illuminates the role of Union soldiers who furious at Copperhead attacks on the war effort moved firmly behind Lincoln. The soldiers' support for the embattled president kept him alive politically in his darkest times and their victories on the battlefield secured his re-election. Disgraced after the war the Copperheads melted into the shadows of history. Here Jennifer L. Weber illuminates their dramatic story. Packed with sharp observation and fresh interpretations Copperheads is a gripping account of the fierce dissent that Lincoln called "the fire in the rear.
