The Cacophony of Politics: Northern Democrats and the American Civil War

In his new book on America’s seminal conflict, Gallman investigates the role of opposition Democrats in the Union, nearly half of whom would vote against Lincoln in 1864. A sweeping account of political turmoil centered on the issue of slavery, The Cacophony of Politics (University of Virginia Press) explores the messy reality for Northern Democrats in this period in American history, and how their decisions would confound the party for decades to come, pushing their commitment to their slogan of "The Union as it was, the Constitution as it is" to the limit.