Overview

During the 1840s and 1850s, a dangerous ferment afflicted the North-South border region, pitting the slave states of Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri against the free states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Aspects of this struggle--the underground railroad, enforcement of the fugitive slave laws, mob actions, and sectional politics--are well known as parts of other stories. Here, Stanley Harrold explores the border struggle itself, the dramatic incidents that comprised it, and its role in the complex dynamics leading to the Civil War.

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9781469606859

Table of Contents

Reviews

Relying on an impressive array of archival and secondary sources, Harrold reconfigures the Underground Railroad into a complex series of events.--Kansas History Border War is a must-have for anyone seeking to understand the small-scale underlying fights that snowballed the Civil War. . . . Textbooks and many leading historical works leave gaps by portraying the sweeping movements, but Harrold fills in the details without which a true and thorough understanding of the slavery issue and the Civil War is impossible.--Virginia Libraries This provocative book . . . will receive its share of attention.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society The impressive research in Border War raises a theme that historians must confront.--Journal of Illinois History This book is important in understanding the intense feelings on both sides of the conflict that help lead to the start of our American Civil War. . . . Excellent.--Lone Star Book Review This work forces historians to reconsider the fault lines of the origins of the Civil War and promises new directions for research. Highly recommended.--Choice A sobering, meticulously researched and astutely presented historical analysis, highly recommended especially for college library collections.--Midwest Book Review Scholars of nineteenth-century America generally, and the Civil War era specifically, would benefit greatly from adding Border War to their collections.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly [This book] should immediately be standard reading for all historians of antebellum America.--Journal of Southern History A good addition to all Civil War collections.--Library Journal Stanley Harrold has written an excellent book that is sure to prompt debate and additional research. It will be required reading for historians of the slavery controversy in the United States.--Civil War Book Review A welcome exploration of the volatile decades of sectional strife that preceded the Civil War.--Canadian Journal of History In Border War, Stanley Harrold cements his reputation as one of the leading scholars of sectional tensions in the antebellum and Civil War eras. . . . A must read for historians of the middle nineteenth century.--Tennessee Historical Quarterly [This book] can help those trying to develop a better understanding of the issues that led to secession. . . . Highly recommended.--Blue & Gray Magazine This is a unique book and one that is necessary to read if you want to understand politics prior to the war.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog Harrold makes impressive use of newspapers and manuscript sources. His engaging study should appeal to students of many historical subjects. --Journal of American History An excellent addition to the literature on causes of the Civil War.--Journal of NC Association of Historians [Border War] is a solid, detailed narrative of the violent conflict that developed along the border between the North and South in the decades before the Civil War.--The Annals of Iowa Fast-paced, lucid, and well-researched.--American Historical Review Offers a refreshing perspective on disunion by examining the tensions in the North-South borderland. . . [and] sheds new light on how the slave states sought to protect their peculiar institution.--West Virginia History Harrold is at his best when he discusses how, when, and why the violence occurred, and its impact on the ongoing struggle. --The North Carolina Historical Review Harrold's book is not only informative but provocative.--Indiana Magazine of History

Border War is a must-have for anyone seeking to understand the small-scale underlying fights that snowballed the Civil War. . . . Textbooks and many leading historical works leave gaps by portraying the sweeping movements, but Harrold fills in the details without which a true and thorough understanding of the slavery issue and the Civil War is impossible.--Virginia Libraries A good addition to all Civil War collections.--Library Journal In Border War, Stanley Harrold cements his reputation as one of the leading scholars of sectional tensions in the antebellum and Civil War eras. . . . A must read for historians of the middle nineteenth century.--Tennessee Historical Quarterly [This book] can help those trying to develop a better understanding of the issues that led to secession. . . . Highly recommended.--Blue & Gray Magazine Harrold makes impressive use of newspapers and manuscript sources. His engaging study should appeal to students of many historical subjects. --Journal of American History An excellent addition to the literature on causes of the Civil War.--Journal of NC Association of Historians [Border War] is a solid, detailed narrative of the violent conflict that developed along the border between the North and South in the decades before the Civil War.--The Annals of Iowa This book is important in understanding the intense feelings on both sides of the conflict that help lead to the start of our American Civil War. . . . Excellent.--Lone Star Book Review This work forces historians to reconsider the fault lines of the origins of the Civil War and promises new directions for research. Highly recommended.--Choice Fast-paced, lucid, and well-researched.--American Historical Review A sobering, meticulously researched and astutely presented historical analysis, highly recommended especially for college library collections.--Midwest Book Review Offers a refreshing perspective on disunion by examining the tensions in the North-South borderland. . . [and] sheds new light on how the slave states sought to protect their peculiar institution.--West Virginia History Scholars of nineteenth-century America generally, and the Civil War era specifically, would benefit greatly from adding Border War to their collections.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly Harrold is at his best when he discusses how, when, and why the violence occurred, and its impact on the ongoing struggle. --The North Carolina Historical Review [This book] should immediately be standard reading for all historians of antebellum America.--Journal of Southern History Harrold's book is not only informative but provocative.--Indiana Magazine of History Relying on an impressive array of archival and secondary sources, Harrold reconfigures the Underground Railroad into a complex series of events.--Kansas History This provocative book . . . will receive its share of attention.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society The impressive research in Border War raises a theme that historians must confront.--Journal of Illinois History Stanley Harrold has written an excellent book that is sure to prompt debate and additional research. It will be required reading for historians of the slavery controversy in the United States.--Civil War Book Review A welcome exploration of the volatile decades of sectional strife that preceded the Civil War.--Canadian Journal of History This is a unique book and one that is necessary to read if you want to understand politics prior to the war.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog

Arguing for a broader definition of politics, Stanley Harrold successfully takes us into relatively uncharted waters, insisting that, by running away, slaves had a profound effect on the politics of slavery both on the border between slavery and freedom where it was most vulnerable and on the national level. --Richard J. M. Blackett, Vanderbilt University<br>

Relying on an impressive array of archival and secondary sources, Harrold reconfigures the Underground Railroad into a complex series of events.--Kansas History This provocative book . . . will receive its share of attention.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society A good addition to all Civil War collections.--Library Journal Stanley Harrold has written an excellent book that is sure to prompt debate and additional research. It will be required reading for historians of the slavery controversy in the United States.--Civil War Book Review A welcome exploration of the volatile decades of sectional strife that preceded the Civil War.--Canadian Journal of History [This book] can help those trying to develop a better understanding of the issues that led to secession. . . . Highly recommended.--Blue & Gray Magazine Border War is a must-have for anyone seeking to understand the small-scale underlying fights that snowballed the Civil War. . . . Textbooks and many leading historical works leave gaps by portraying the sweeping movements, but Harrold fills in the details without which a true and thorough understanding of the slavery issue and the Civil War is impossible.--Virginia Libraries The impressive research in Border War raises a theme that historians must confront.--Journal of Illinois History In Border War, Stanley Harrold cements his reputation as one of the leading scholars of sectional tensions in the antebellum and Civil War eras. . . . A must read for historians of the middle nineteenth century.--Tennessee Historical Quarterly This is a unique book and one that is necessary to read if you want to understand politics prior to the war.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog Harrold makes impressive use of newspapers and manuscript sources. His engaging study should appeal to students of many historical subjects. --Journal of American History An excellent addition to the literature on causes of the Civil War.--Journal of NC Association of Historians [Border War] is a solid, detailed narrative of the violent conflict that developed along the border between the North and South in the decades before the Civil War.--The Annals of Iowa This book is important in understanding the intense feelings on both sides of the conflict that help lead to the start of our American Civil War. . . . Excellent.--Lone Star Book Review This work forces historians to reconsider the fault lines of the origins of the Civil War and promises new directions for research. Highly recommended.--Choice Fast-paced, lucid, and well-researched.--American Historical Review A sobering, meticulously researched and astutely presented historical analysis, highly recommended especially for college library collections.--Midwest Book Review Offers a refreshing perspective on disunion by examining the tensions in the North-South borderland. . . [and] sheds new light on how the slave states sought to protect their peculiar institution.--West Virginia History Scholars of nineteenth-century America generally, and the Civil War era specifically, would benefit greatly from adding Border War to their collections.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly Harrold is at his best when he discusses how, when, and why the violence occurred, and its impact on the ongoing struggle. --The North Carolina Historical Review [This book] should immediately be standard reading for all historians of antebellum America.--Journal of Southern History Harrold's book is not only informative but provocative.--Indiana Magazine of History

Relying on an impressive array of archival and secondary sources, Harrold reconfigures the Underground Railroad into a complex series of events.--Kansas History Border War is a must-have for anyone seeking to understand the small-scale underlying fights that snowballed the Civil War. . . . Textbooks and many leading historical works leave gaps by portraying the sweeping movements, but Harrold fills in the details without which a true and thorough understanding of the slavery issue and the Civil War is impossible.--Virginia Libraries This provocative book . . . will receive its share of attention.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society The impressive research in Border War raises a theme that historians must confront.--Journal of Illinois History A good addition to all Civil War collections.--Library Journal Stanley Harrold has written an excellent book that is sure to prompt debate and additional research. It will be required reading for historians of the slavery controversy in the United States.--Civil War Book Review A welcome exploration of the volatile decades of sectional strife that preceded the Civil War.--Canadian Journal of History In Border War, Stanley Harrold cements his reputation as one of the leading scholars of sectional tensions in the antebellum and Civil War eras. . . . A must read for historians of the middle nineteenth century.--Tennessee Historical Quarterly [This book] can help those trying to develop a better understanding of the issues that led to secession. . . . Highly recommended.--Blue & Gray Magazine This is a unique book and one that is necessary to read if you want to understand politics prior to the war.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog Harrold makes impressive use of newspapers and manuscript sources. His engaging study should appeal to students of many historical subjects. --Journal of American History An excellent addition to the literature on causes of the Civil War.--Journal of NC Association of Historians [Border War] is a solid, detailed narrative of the violent conflict that developed along the border between the North and South in the decades before the Civil War.--The Annals of Iowa This book is important in understanding the intense feelings on both sides of the conflict that help lead to the start of our American Civil War. . . . Excellent.--Lone Star Book Review This work forces historians to reconsider the fault lines of the origins of the Civil War and promises new directions for research. Highly recommended.--Choice Fast-paced, lucid, and well-researched.--American Historical Review A sobering, meticulously researched and astutely presented historical analysis, highly recommended especially for college library collections.--Midwest Book Review Offers a refreshing perspective on disunion by examining the tensions in the North-South borderland. . . [and] sheds new light on how the slave states sought to protect their peculiar institution.--West Virginia History Scholars of nineteenth-century America generally, and the Civil War era specifically, would benefit greatly from adding Border War to their collections.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly Harrold is at his best when he discusses how, when, and why the violence occurred, and its impact on the ongoing struggle. --The North Carolina Historical Review [This book] should immediately be standard reading for all historians of antebellum America.--Journal of Southern History Harrold's book is not only informative but provocative.--Indiana Magazine of History

Author Information

Stanley Harrold is professor of history at South Carolina State University, USA.

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