Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-371) and index.
Contents
A slave society : Virginia in the 1850s -- Boastful and belligerent champions of southern institutions : slavery and politics, 1851-1854 -- A uniform spirit of lawlessness : the problem of runaways -- A spirit of license in the guise of liberty : the survival of opposition, 1854-1856 -- The darkest and most perilous hours of our national existence : the deepening sectional crisis, 1856-1859 -- A black demon of fanaticism : Harpers Ferry and the election of 1860 -- To light the torch of servile insurrection : the secession crisis.
