expansion of slavery

A review of “West of Slavery: The Southern Dream of a Transcontinental Empire."

A Flourish data visualisation by Bill Black.

A new book tells the forgotten story of fugitive slaves who found freedom south of the border.

Long before Southern Democrats filibustered Civil Rights legislation, “filibusteros” were conquering slave territories for the United States.

A review of Robert Elder's new biography of John C. Calhoun.

During the 1860 presidential election, political parties dueled over the intent of the framers.

The Bleeding Kansas parallels with our current moment get weirder and darker.

Although he did not openly endorse every one of the many precepts of the antislavery Constitution, Lincoln framed his positions entirely within its parameters.

Historian James Oakes offers a critique of the New History of Capitalism.

A riveting new book shows how the Civil War in the West was both strategically important and lacking in the moral contours of the broader war.

Lessons from Frederick Douglass on the tortured relationship between protest and change.

After the Whig president’s shocking death, his vice president and successor proved to be a Whig by expedience only

Anti-slavery protest during the Missouri statehood debate.

San Bernardino, California's early success rested on a pair of seemingly incongruous forces: Mormonism and slavery.

What is Texas? Should we even think about so large and diverse a place as having an essence that can be distilled?

From the Framers on, Americans have understood our fundamental law to oppose ownership of persons.

A twist of fate brought the first Africans to Virginia in 1619. See how slavery grew in the U.S. over two centuries.

It made it impossible to limit the size and scope of the federal government. Conservatives need to recognize that.

Ed Ayers visits with public historians in Texas and explores what's wrong with remembering the Alamo as the beginning of Texas history.

A review of a book by Sean Wilentz's "No Property in Man," which argues that the document is full of anti-slavery language.