Antebellum America, 1787–1861

A companion to Abraham Lincoln and His Times, this volume is a documentary sourcebook that provides a roadmap to the antebellum era. The primary documents assembled herein describe how slavery became intertwined with the antebellum arguments over the nature of the federal constitution, whether it created a national government or a loose confederation of states. The emphatic opinions on both sides of this debate are highlighted in the documents compiled in this book. Also highlighted is the evolution of the pro-slavery argument that the institution of slavery was a social positive and should be preserved. Introductory essays and a biographical appendix provide context for more than 145 documents presented. Many of these documents have not been included in prior collections of antebellum documents, and taken together provide a fresh perspective on this tumultuous era in American history.

Thomas J. Ebert is a retired reference and documents librarian at California State University, Fresno where he also served as associate vice president for academic personnel. He lives in Clovis, California. Allen Carden is a professor emeritus of history and former president of Fresno Pacific University. He wrote a book on the history of emancipation and was the coauthor with Thomas J. Ebert of a scholarly biography of Lincoln’s private secretary, John George Nicolay.

Compiled and Edited by Thomas J. Ebert and Allen Carden
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 364
Bibliographic Info: appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9631-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5393-8
Imprint: McFarland

List of Documents       ix
Abbreviation of Sources       xii
Preface       1

Chapter 1: Federalist Era September 17, 1787–March 4, 1801       5
Chapter 2: Age of Jefferson March 4, 1801–March 4, 1829       83
Chapter 3: Age of Jackson March 4, 1829–March 4, 1849       136
Chapter 4: Road to Civil War March 4, 1849–April 12, 1861       219

Appendix: Biographical Sketches       317
Bibliography       341
Index       345