 | Apostles of Equality: The Birneys, the Republicans, and the Civil War Subjects: Birney James Gillespie 1792–1857; Abolitionists -- United States -- Biography; Presidential candidates -- United States -- Biography; Antislavery movements -- United States -- History -- 19th century; United States -- Politics and government -- 1815–186; The first biographical account of the life of James Gillespie Birney in more than fifty years, this fabulously insightful history illuminates and elevates an all-but-forgotten figure whose political career contributed mightily to the American political fabric. Birney was a southern-born politician at the heart of the antislavery movement, with two southern-born sons who were major generals involved in key Union Army activities, including the leadership of the black troops. The interaction of the Birneys with historical figures (Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Clay) highlights the significance of the family's activities in politics and war. D. Laurence Rogers offers a unique historiography of the abolition movement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction through the experiences of one family navigating momentous developments from the founding of the Republic until the late 19th century. D. Laurence Rogers is a freelance journalist and historian who has received awards from the American Political Science Association, the Associated Press, and United Press International. He is the author and editor of several books on Michigan's history and is deeply involved in its historic preservation. |
