First published 2011
Adam Goodheart examines the pivotal twelve months that transformed American society and ignited the Civil War. The author traces how 1861 became a turning point when a new generation abandoned their elders' commitment to political compromise. Goodheart follows Abraham Lincoln's rise during this critical period and documents how millions of enslaved people began their journey toward liberation. The narrative spans from White House halls to Manhattan's poorest neighborhoods, from the Chesapeake Bay to Nevada's arid landscapes. Goodheart introduces readers to forgotten figures who shaped this moment: a gymnastic military leader, an adventurer's spouse, German settlers driven by idealism, firefighters from New York who became soldiers, enslaved Virginians, and a young academic destined for the presidency. The book reveals how this second American revolution unfolded across the continent, from Boston Common to Alcatraz Island, as the nation faced its greatest test of survival and moral purpose.
Genres: biography, american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: forgotten-figures, historical-fiction
Setting: White House, Manhattan, Chesapeake Bay, Nevada, Boston Common, Alcatraz Island
Period: 1861
481 pages · Hardcover · Knopf