"One of the best history books I've read in the last few years." —Chris Hayes

The Field of Blood recounts the previously untold story of the violence in Congress that helped spark the Civil War.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
ONE OF SMITHSONIAN'S BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Historian Joanne B. Freeman recovers the

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Henry Clay devoted his life and work to strengthening the United States. In his time he was an economist and a passionate believer in compromise. For Clay, the Union was the key to his heart. Young students will love reading about this important figure in America's history. Crafted with a wealth of detail and rich illustrations, each biography in this appealing collection offers 32 pages that entice readers to discover the remarkable people who built...

"The history of the United States is filled with fascinating stories. Expansion of Our Nation takes an in-depth look at the leaders, battles, events, and ideals that contributed to the country's growth and development in the first half of the 1800s."--Page [4] of cover.

Robert Pierce Forbes goes behind the scenes of the crucial Missouri Compromise, the most important sectional crisis before the Civil War, to reveal the high-level deal-making, diplomacy, and deception that defused the crisis, including the central, unexpected role of President James Monroe. Although Missouri was allowed to join the union with slavery, the compromise in fact closed off nearly all remaining federal territories to slavery. When Congressman...

America experienced unprecedented expansion and turmoil in the years between 1815 and 1848. Historian David S. Reynolds illuminates the period's political story as well as the social and cultural movements that influenced it. He casts fresh light on Andrew Jackson, who redefined the presidency, along with John Quincy Adams and James K. Polk, who expanded the nation's territory and strengthened its position internationally. Waking Giant captures the...

Giving close consideration to previously neglected debates, Matthew Mason challenges the common contention that slavery held little political significance in America until the Missouri Crisis of 1819. Mason demonstrates that slavery and politics were enmeshed in the creation of the nation, and in fact there was never a time between the Revolution and the Civil War in which slavery went uncontested. The American Revolution set in motion the split between...

Describes the life of the American statesman and political theorist who served as Vice President under John Quincy Adams and argued in favor of slavery and laid the groundwork for the South to secede the Union.