Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney : Slavery, Secession, and the President's War Powers (Paperback)

from estamm

Interesting book, mainly for its take on Taney. I learned, for instance, that his name is pronounced like "Tawn-ey" (rather than "Tane-y"), and that he was actually anti-slavery for a long time, and that he was a very respected jurist... at least until Dred Scott. The author does the best he can ...

from nbmars

Roger Tawney, best known for the notorious Dred Scott decision, was the nation's fifth Chief Justice, confirmed in 1836. Although Tawney had freed his own slaves, he was an ardent supporter of state's rights, believing that the Constitution authorized slavery as a choice to be made by individual ...

from JBD1

A double biography of Lincoln and Taney, focusing on their national careers and the battle over slave politics from the 1840s until Taney's death. I suspect there won't be much new here for anyone who has read much about this period before, but Simon does offer an interesting perspective on Taney...