Description:
The first book on the political thought of John C. Calhoun pays close attention to his advocacy of consensus rule. A respectful but critical look at Calhoun's rationale, which upheld states' rights to maintain slaves--ultimately contributing to secession and war.
Brief description:
James H. Read is professor of political science at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University and author of Power versus Liberty: Madison, Hamilton, Wilson, and Jefferson.
Review Quotes:
"Makes an important contribution to the literature of antebellum America with this thoughtful study of Calhoun's cherished political theory." . . . Anyone concerned with understanding sectionalism and Calhoun's critical place in the coming of the war will benefit from this book."--The South Carolina Historical Magazine
"An impressive analysis of Calhoun's political thought. . . . Read is nothing if not masterful in his thorough dissection of Calhoun's claims to constitutional originalism."--Modern Age
"Read bridges theory and history, and his findings are a valuable interdisciplinary contribution."--Journal of the Early Republic
"An important book. . . . Read's analysis is so thorough that readers' admiration for his judgment rises as their appreciation of Calhoun's thought falls. Because it is such a careful and respectful explication of Calhoun's theory, Read's book turns out to be what is likely the most exhaustive and devastating critique of it, rendering all the more compelling the Madisonian alternative."--Journal of Southern History