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tsharris's review
5.0
One of the best histories I've ever read, full stop. Reveals a tremendous amount of nuance and gritty reality about a process that has often been elided over in tellings of the coming of the Civil War: the formation of the Republican Party and the development of an effective anti-slavery agenda. Foner shows how antislavery, an ideology extolling the virtues of free labor, hatred of Southern Slave Power, and, most interestingly, an imperialistic desire to spread American virtues (particularly economic virtues) throughout the Americas and the world came together in the Republican Party, drawing individuals from across the political spectrum into a party that would fight a Civil War that not only sought to preserve the union but also to destroy slavery. Ultimately, he takes an important piece of the Emancipation story - a Republican Party able to serve as the agent of Emancipation - and situates it in the world of real politics, in which individuals often pursue noble ends for a variety of less-than-noble reasons. As he suggests in his conclusion, the streams feeding into Republicanism also explain why Reconstruction was an incomplete revolution.
bahareads's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
As my one good classmate has stressed that Eric Foner is THAT man when it comes to this era in American history.<I> Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men</i> tells about the radicalisation of the party. The title is straightforward on what the ideology of the Republican party was pre-civil war. I'm not a fan of American political history, yet this book was fascinating to see the petty politics of the time. There was so much information in <I> Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men</i> and I have no interest in diving into it. If you're interested in the American Civil War/ Reconstruction Era this book is for you.
zelanator's review
4.0
An outstanding book by Eric Foner that clearly and logically spells out slavery as the primary cause of the Civil War and the lowest common denominator uniting diverse Republicans during the 1850s. Highly readable and a well execute argument. A classic with continued significance for historians and the public.
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