Roots of Secession

“Link’s analysis is clear and thought-provoking. . . . A compelling argument that does, indeed, place slaves at the center of political sectionalism. . . . Deepens and complicates our notion of political culture and the roots of secession. ” — Civil War History

“Through extraordinary research and careful exposition, Link skillfully intertwines the regional language and political rhetoric of over seventy newspapers and many other primary sources with his historical analysis.” — Journal of African American History

“This is superb historical scholarship — a work that attempts to discern important social changes and how those changes affected nearly every other issue in the era. . . . It is a must read for antebellum students. Those interested in politics, slavery, and the economy, all can benefit from it. . . . Roots of Secession shows how good history can include many factors and how the complexities of society are so often interconnected.” — H-Net Reviews

“A most valuable work on antebellum Virginia. Focusing almost entirely on the period from 1850 to the state’s secession in April 1861, Link has drawn on a wide variety of sources to write what will surely become the standard work on the subject.” — American Historical Review

“Link does a superb job in illuminating the anxiety felt by Virginia politicians in the 1850s and adeptly shows the manner in which slavery contributed to tensions between slaveholding and nonslaveholding whites as the decade progressed. . . . Link provides a valuable and provocative contribution to the literature on slavery, politics, and secession.” — Journal of American History

“Link addresses social, legal, political, economic, and cultural factors, making a persuasive case for how they interacted to contribute to Virginia’s secession. . . . [He] supports his study by exemplary research in a variety of primary sources and reference to an abundance of secondary studies. His book benefits from well-crafted maps and many illustrations, including evocative photographs.” — Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“William A. Link’s Roots of Secession is an important addition to the large and growing body of literature showing the intimate connection between the slave society of the Old South and the causes of the Civil War.” — Virginia Libraries

“In this deeply researched and imaginatively argued narrative, William Link explores the key nexus in the coming of the Civil War. He shows how defiant slaves and a political culture built around slavery pushed Virginia into secession and a war they resisted.” — Edward L. Ayers, University of Virginia

“By linking slave behavior with the mounting sectional crisis in Virginia during the 1850s, William Link has opened up a fascinating new approach to studying the politics of the commonwealth in the years leading up to secession. Civil War scholars will have to contend with this provocative argument, and the debate should be a lively one.” — Charles B. Dew, Williams College