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A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War - Paperback
$31.99
by Thomas Fleming (Author)
In this riveting, character-driven history, one of our most respected historians traces the diseases in the public mind--the distortions of reality--that destroyed George Washington's vision of a united America and inflicted the tragedy that still divide's the nation's soul.
Fleming argues that the Civil War arose less from an irreconcilable conflict over slavery alone than from a long-standing “disease in the public mind”—mutual distortions, hatreds, and moral absolutism that destroyed the possibility of compromise. He traces the roots of sectional enmity from the founding era through the Missouri Compromise, the rise of abolitionism, the nullification crisis, and the 1850s. He examines the rhetoric of William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, and other Northern extremists alongside Southern fears of slave insurrection and political domination, contending that both sides abandoned the restraint of the Founders and made war inevitable by 1861. The narrative continues through Appomattox and the war’s lasting effect on the national soul.
Sovereign Archive Publishing is proud to offer this provocative reexamination of the war’s origins. A Disease in the Public Mind remains essential reading for those interested in a deeper look at the real causes of the Civil War, antebellum politics, and the role of public opinion in the sectional crisis than what is typically taught in public schools.
Author Biography
Thomas Fleming, a distinguished historian and author of more than fifty books, was a frequent guest on PBS, A&E, and the History Channel. He also contributed articles to American Heritage, MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, and many other magazines.
Number of Pages: 384
Dimensions: 1.3 x 8.9 x 5.9 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: June 03, 2014