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Article: Arguing About Slavery: The Great Battle in the United States Congress.
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- September 11, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WHEN William Lee Miller chanced upon this book's subject, he says, "It grabbed me by the collar, threw me upon the floor, sat upon my chest, and insisted on being told." His purpose, it seems, is likewise to throw his readers to the floor and make them listen to him tell about it.
It is the story of an argument in the U.S. House of Representatives. Between 1836 and 1844, members of the House struggled with a question that had long tested the nation's character, strength and will: Could slavery be ended without destroying the Union? Slavery contradicted the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, but the signers of that document avoided mention of ...