Examines the problems of slavery, expansion, and sectionalism between 1848 and 1861.

This book records the observations made by John William De Forest as an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau at Greenville, SC, in 1866 and 1867. Scorning a politic reticence, he stated his individualistic conclusions with a vigor that probably offended both Northern and Southern readers in the 'sixties, and may retain this double effectiveness even today. De Forest's service at Greenville extended over a period of fifteen months. Since the three counties...