Two towering figures of American history collide in this riveting account of how the struggle between Lincoln and his defiant general John C. Frémont shaped the Civil War and emancipation. "... a masterwork of history. . .Bicknell deftly interweaves Frémont's story with the grander narrative of the war and Abraham Lincoln's presidency." -Jon D. Schaff, author of Abraham Lincoln's Statesmanship and the Limits of Liberal Democracy. In 1856, John C. Frémont-the famed "Pathfinder" of the American West-became the Republican Party's first presidential nominee on an anti-slavery platform. Five years later, now a Union general under President Lincoln, he sparked a national crisis by unilaterally declaring emancipation in Missouri. Drawing from extensive research, author John Bicknell masterfully chronicles the volatile relationship between these two leaders as they grappled with slavery, military strategy, and the future of the nation.
- Reveals how Frémont's radical actions in Missouri influenced Lincoln's own path to the Emancipation Proclamation
- Explores the complex political and military dimensions of Civil War leadership
- Illuminates the crucial role of border states in shaping Union strategy
- Provides fresh insights into the personal dynamics that affected wartime decision-making
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John Bicknell is the author of Lincoln's Pathfinder: John C. Frémont and the Violent Election of 1856 and America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward Expansion, and the Presidential Election That Transformed the Nation. He was a journalist for more than thirty years, working as a reporter and editor for Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call. He lives in central Illinois.