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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Demon of Unrest summary
Erik Larson
A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
21 mins
Brief summary
The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson delves into the historical events that foster societal turmoil. It examines the intricate interplay of human behavior and external factors, revealing insights into the persistent nature of civil unrest.
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The Demon of Unrest
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A new political power
In the months leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, the United States was teetering on the edge of chaos. At the heart of the discord was slavery – an issue that was creating havoc in the nation’s political landscape.
The Democratic Party, which had long been dominant in Washington, had split into Northern and Southern factions, with each side nominating their own candidate for the presidency. A third party, the Constitutional Union Party, had also entered the fray, hoping to bridge the growing divide between North and South.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party was a rising political force that opposed the expansion of slavery in the growing United States. They’d chosen Lincoln as their candidate. With the three other contenders splitting the vote, Lincoln’s supporters saw a clear path to victory.
For the South, however, Lincoln’s potential win wasn’t just a political shift – it felt like an existential threat. Southern states, particularly those driven by radical pro-slavery “fire-eaters,” viewed Lincoln as a danger to their way of life. The “chivalry,” as the affluent Southern population called themselves, couldn’t exist without the use of slavery.
Despite Lincoln’s repeated assurances that he wouldn’t interfere with slavery where it already existed, it made little difference. The “chivalry” abhorred the Republican abolitionists and Lincoln. But it hardly mattered, Lincoln wasn’t even on the ballot in ten Southern states. Already, newspapers like South Carolina’s Charleston Mercury were calling for secession if Lincoln triumphed.
On November 6, 1860, as Lincoln won crucial states like New York, it became clear that the Republicans had secured the presidency. Despite earning less than half of the popular vote due to the divided race, Lincoln dominated the Electoral College. But his victory did little to unite the fractured country. In the South, he barely made a dent in the vote count. Even in Kentucky, his birth state, he received less than one percent.
It would be months before Lincoln would be sworn in as president, however, and during that time he remained unnervingly silent as calls for secession from the Union grew louder among the Southern states. In Charleston, South Carolina, military leaders like Colonel John Gardner were on edge. Gardner, commander of the US Army forces in Charleston, worried that local militias or even angry mobs might seize key forts, particularly Fort Sumter, a half-completed fortress in the city’s harbor.
Gardner pushed for more troops to protect these vulnerable installations, but in Washington, doubts arose about whether he was the right man for the job. He was soon replaced by Major Robert Anderson, a seasoned officer with Southern roots who, while sympathetic to the South, was known to be loyal to the Union. From the outset, Anderson found himself stepping into a pressure cooker in Charleston Harbor – one that was only going to intensify in the coming months.
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What is The Demon of Unrest about?
The Demon of Unrest (2024) captures the dramatic chaos and pivotal moments of the American Civil War's early days. It vividly recounts the fall of Fort Sumter and delves into the intense emotions and strategic maneuvers that precipitated the event. Painting an eerily relevant portrait of a world on the brink of war, it displays how every decision and action at this critical time had the potential to alter the course of history.
Who should read The Demon of Unrest?
- History buffs fascinated by the lead-up to the Civil War
- Fans of political drama and pivotal historical events
- Fans of narrative non-fiction
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