Over the course of the Civil War, fifty-nine men served as
governors of the twenty-five Union states. Although these state
executives were occasionally obstructionist and often disagreed
amongst themselves, their overall cooperation and counsel bolstered
the policies put forth by Abraham Lincoln and proved essential to
the Union's ultimate victory. In this revealing volume,
award-winning historian William C. Harris explores the complex
relationship between Lincoln and the governors of the Union states,
illuminating the contributions of these often-overlooked state
leaders to the preservation of the nation.
Lincoln recognized that in securing the governors' cooperation
in the war he had to tread carefully and, as much as possible,
respect their constitutional authority under the federal system of
government. Contributing to the success of the partnership, Harris
shows, was the fact that almost all of the governors were members
of Lincoln's Republican or Union Party, and most had earlier
associated with his Whig party. Despite their support for the war,
however, the governors reflected different regional interests, and
Lincoln understood and attempted to accommodate these differences
in order to maintain a unified war effort.
Harris examines the activities of the governors, who often
worked ahead of Lincoln in rallying citizens for the war,
organizing state regiments for the Union army, and providing aid
and encouragement to the troops in the field. The governors kept
Lincoln informed about political conditions in their states and
lobbied Lincoln and the War Department to take more vigorous
measures to suppress the rebellion. Harris explores the governors'
concerns about many issues, including the divisions within their
states over the war and Lincoln's most controversial policies,
especially emancipation and military conscription. He also provides
the first modern account of the 1862 conference of governors in
Altoona, Pennsylvania, which provided important backing for
Lincoln's war leadership.
By emphasizing the difficult tasks that both the governors and
President Lincoln faced in dealing with the major issues of the
Civil War, Harris provides fresh insight into the role this dynamic
partnership played in preserving the nation's democratic and
constitutional institutions and ending the greatest blight on the
republic--chattel slavery.
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