A signal; violent event in the history of the United States Congress; the caning of Charles Sumner on the Senate floor embodied the complex North-South cultural divide of the mid-nineteenth century. Williamjames Hull Hoffer's vivid account of the brutal act demonstrates just how far the sections had drifted apart and explains why the coming war was so difficult to avoid. Sumner; a noted abolitionist and gifted speaker; was seated at his Senate desk on May 22; 1856; when Democratic Congressman Preston S. Brooks approached; pulled out a gutta-percha walking stick; and struck him on the head. Brooks continued to beat the stunned Sumner; forcing him to the ground and repeatedly striking him even as the cane shattered. He then pursued the bloodied; staggering Republican senator up the Senate aisle until Sumner collapsed at the feet of Congressman Edwin B. Morgan. Colleagues of the two intervened only after Brooks appeared intent on beating the unconscious Sumner severely―and; perhaps; to death. Sumner's crime? Speaking passionately about the evils of slavery; which dishonored both the South and Brooks’s relative; Senator Andrew P. Butler. Celebrated in the South for the act; Brooks was fined only three hundred dollars; dying a year later of a throat infection. Sumner recovered and served out a distinguished Senate career until his death in 1873.Hoffer's narrative recounts the caning and its aftermath; explores the depths of the differences between free and slave states in 1856; and explains the workings of the Southern honor culture as opposed to Yankee idealism. Hoffer helps us understand why Brooks would take such great offense at a political speech and why he chose a cane―instead of dueling with pistols or swords―to meet his obligation under the South’s prevailing code of honor. He discusses why the courts meted out a comparatively light sentence. He addresses the importance of the event in the national crisis and shows why such actions are not quite as alien to today’s politics as they might at first seem.
#1621063 in Books Johns Hopkins University Press 2001-08-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.73 x 6.00l; 2.79 #File Name: 0801867525944 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The ultimate and highly destined account of the Liberty Ship and Victory Ship programs in WW II.By Bayard B.The ultimate account; I think; of the American Liberty Ship and Victory Ship programs. I suspect that this is the primary source for just about all other books on the subject of the American cargo shipping effort of World War II. It was originally published in 1951 and uses the Maritime Commission and other original records to tell its story.. I especially appreciated the chapters on the production effort; the analysis of issues such as labor productivity; and the discussion of the particular design features of the Liberty Ship that made it easy to produce. There is also extensive discussion on the establishment and layout of the new shipyards that were constructed to produce the ships.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. No Rhetoric; Just the Facts!By Jan Ferris KoltunExcellent; authoritative and well-written; this book is the classic history of its kind. The new (2001) edition should give courage to new generations of Americans who may not know the immensity of the challenge we met in World War II.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy John B.Excellent reference book on all aspects of shipbuilding during World War II.
