on the political dynamics of the Civil War, and the moral dilemmas it posed. Donald J. Meyers traces slavery s impact on economics and politics from Jamestown through the Civil War. This American crisis unfolds through the written and spoken words of the participants, representing every level of a society whose leadership originally postponed, then procrastinated and eventually failed to resolve a moral issue, creating a political impasse which intensified the passions that fueled the war.When the war came, both sides were shocked by its ferocity and duration.Anti-slavery leaders faced a moral and political challenge. In championing a union of states that sought independence from the motherland; to achieve union and independence, they had to compromise on slavery for the time being.

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