The Impending Crisis, 1848–1861

Summary

Potter traces the political collapse that pushed the United States toward civil war, examining how slavery, sectional rivalry, and failed compromises tore the nation apart between the Mexican War and secession. He weighs the choices of statesmen and the deeper structural forces at work, treating figures like Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln with careful balance. The book stands as a definitive account of why the Union broke down and how Americans drifted into open conflict.