Washington Brotherhood: Politics, Social Life, and the Coming of the Civil War - Civil War America

Commendation Quotes: Shelden pulls back the facade of sectionalist pistol-wielding and Bowie knife-brandishing to reveal the surprising brotherhood that existed within the antebellum Washington community.--Mark E. Neely Jr., McCabe-Greer Professor of Civil War History, Pennsylvania State University Review Quotes: "Shelden pulls back the facade of sectionalist pistol-wielding and Bowie knife-brandishing to reveal the surprising brotherhood that existed within the antebellum Washington community."--Mark Neely, McCabe-Greer Professor of Civil War History, Pennsylvania State UniversityReview Quotes: "In her striking new book, Rachel Shelden goes behind the scenes to show readers a Washington, D. C. in the years before the Civil War that rarely reached the public eye. She highlights sociable day-to-day life in boardinghouses and hotels, where Northerners and Southerners took their measure of each other and often became friends. When secession suddenly brought their world to a screeching halt, many of the dismayed principals tried vainly to stem the torrent."--Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New JerseyJacket Description/Flap: Traditional portrayals of politicians in antebellum Washington, D. C., describe a violent and divisive society, full of angry debates and violent duels, a microcosm of the building animosity throughout the country. Yet, in Washington Brotherhood, Rachel Shelden paints a more nuanced portrait of Washington as a less fractious city with a vibrant social and cultural life. Politicians from different parties and sections of the country interacted in a variety of day-to-day activities outside traditional political spaces and came to know one another on a personal level. Shelden shows that this engagement by figures such as Stephen Douglas, John Crittenden, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Stephens had important consequences for how lawmakers dealt with the sectional disputes that bedeviled the country during the 1840s and 1850s--particularly disputes involving slavery in the territories. Brief Description: "Traditional portrayals of politicians in antebellum Washington, D. C., describe a violent and divisive society, full of angry debates and violent duels, a microcosm of the building animosity throughout the country. Yet, in Washington Brotherhood, Rachel Shelden paints a more nuanced portrait of Washington as a less fractious city with a vibrant social and cultural life. Politicians from different parties and sections of the country interacted in a variety of day-to-day activities outside traditional political spaces and came to know one another on a personal level. Shelden shows that this engagement by figures such as Stephen Douglas, John Crittenden, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Stephens had important consequences for how lawmakers dealt with the sectional disputes that bedeviled the country during the 1840s and 1850s--particularly disputes involving slavery in the territories. Shelden uses primary documents--from housing records to personal diaries--to reveal the ways in which this political sociability influenced how laws were made in the antebellum era. Ultimately, this Washington "bubble" explains why so many of these men were unprepared for secession and war when the winter of 1860-61 arrived"--Brief Description: "Traditional portrayals of politicians in antebellum Washington, D. C., describe a violent and divisive society, full of angry debates and violent duels, a microcosm of the building animosity throughout the country. Yet, in [this book], Rachel Shelden paints a more nuanced portrait of Washington as a less fractious city with a vibrant social and cultural life. Politicians from different parties and sections of the country interacted in a variety of day-to-day activities outside traditional political spaces and came to know one another on a personal level"--Dust jacket flap. Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Traditional portrayals of politicians in antebellum Washington, D. C., describe a violent and divisive society, full of angry debates and violent duels, a microcosm of the building animosity throughout the country. Yet, in Washington Brotherhood, Rachel Shelden paints a more nuanced portrait of Washington as a less fractious city with a vibrant social and cultural life. Politicians from different parties and sections of the country interacted in a variety of day-to-day activities outside traditional political spaces and came to know one another on a personal level. Shelden shows that this engagement by figures such as Stephen Douglas, John Crittenden, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Stephens had important consequences for how lawmakers dealt with the sectional disputes that bedeviled the country during the 1840s and 1850s--particularly disputes involving slavery in the territories. Shelden uses primary documents--from housing records to personal diaries--to reveal the ways in which this political sociability influenced how laws were made in the antebellum era. Ultimately, this Washington bubble explains why so many of these men were unprepared for secession and war when the winter of 1860-61 arrived--; Provided by publisher. Table of Contents: Acknowledgments -- Introduction: The Washington Fraternity in the Mid-Nineteenth Century -- Prologue: The Politician's Landscape in Antebellum Washington -- Chapter 1. A Perfect Tower of Babel: The Culture of Congress and the Wilmot Proviso -- Chapter 2. Odd Fellows, Teetotalers, and Young Indians: Washington Associations and the Election of 1848 -- Chapter 3. Behind the Curtain Where Great Men Relax: Capital Social Life and the Compromise of 1850 -- Chapter 4. An F Street Mess: Federal Living Arrangements and the Kansas-Nebraslut Act of 1854 -- Chapter 5. The Most Immoral and Corrupt Place in the Union: Vice, Violence, and the Caning of Charles Sumner -- Chapter 6. We Know No Lecompton Here: Cross-Partisan Relationships and the Fight over Kansas -- Chapter 7. Like Taking a Last Leave of a Brother: The Washington Community Faces the Secession Crisis -- Epilogue: The Washington Brotherhood in War and Peace -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index. Review Quotes: A refreshing and fruitful approach to political history.--"Journal of American History" Review Quotes: A charming, superbly crafted examination of Washington, D. C., during the years when the slavery issue rose to prominence in American politics and then tore the country apart.--"America's Civil War" Review Quotes: Shelden's work offers valuable insight into a male-dominated culture that was almost purposefully concealed from the public, adds a vital ingredient to our understanding of why politicians seemed peculiarly unable to grasp the likely repercussions of their actions in the late antebellum era, and provides the reader with an engaging and not infrequently entertaining read.--"Civil War Book Review" Review Quotes: A fresh perspective. . . . Students of American political culture outside the antebellum era and those seeking historical support for either optimistic (the nation endured) or cynical (despite the bloodiest war in American history) interpretations of contemporary political conditions will likewise find much to engage their interest.--"North Carolina Historical Review" Review Quotes: [A] highly illuminating study of Washington political culture in the 1840s and 1850s.--"Register of the Kentucky Historical Society" Commendation Quotes: In her striking new book, Rachel Shelden goes behind the scenes to show readers a Washington, D. C., in the years before the Civil War that rarely reached the public eye. She highlights sociable day-to-day life in boardinghouses and hotels, where Northerners and Southerners took their measure of each other and often became friends. When secession suddenly brought their world to a screeching halt, many of the dismayed principals tried vainly to stem the torrent." Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New Jersey "Review Quotes: Thoroughly researched and richly detailed. . . . [An] interesting and colorful tale.--"Washington Post" Review Quotes: Shelden does an admirable job in illustrating how what is said on the floor of the House or Senate might not always be the best guide for historians.--"Roll Call" Publisher Marketing: Traditional portrayals of politicians in antebellum Washington, D. C., describe a violent and divisive society, full of angry debates and violent duels, a microcosm of the building animosity throughout the country. Yet, in "Washington Brotherhood," Rachel Shelden paints a more nuanced portrait of Washington as a less fractious city with a vibrant social and cultural life. Politicians from different parties and sections of the country interacted in a variety of day-to-day activities outside traditional political spaces and came to know one another on a personal level. Shelden shows that this engagement by figures such as Stephen Douglas, John Crittenden, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Stephens had important consequences for how lawmakers dealt with the sectional disputes that bedeviled the country during the 1840s and 1850s--particularly disputes involving slavery in the territories. Shelden uses primary documents--from housing records to personal diaries--to reveal the ways in which this political sociability influenced how laws were made in the antebellum era. Ultimately, this Washington "bubble" explains why so many of these men were unprepared for secession and war when the winter of 1860-61 arrived.

Contributor Bio:  Shelden, Rachel A Rachel Shelden is assistant professor of history at Georgia College and State University.