American Civil Wars with Alan Taylor

Prior to the Civil War, Americans did not have a nation. Instead, they lived in a union of states, each a republic that retained almost all domestic sovereignty…

1850 to approximately 1874, 1876—those 25 years.

In Alan Taylor's new book, American Civil Wars: A Continental History, we're looking at a period of time when not just the United States, but also our neighbors in North America, Canada and Mexico, were not only watching each other, but also engaged in constant conflict and extreme violence, rampages, homicides—all of that inside the ambition for a better government.

I welcome Professor Taylor to speak of these matters. He's written a comprehensive story, and we can only touch on some of the anecdotes.

I begin with Alan’s storytelling of a young woman born in 1807: Jane Maria Eliza McManus. She is one part of the transformation that America is going to go through in the middle of the century. What do we need to know about her upbringing and her preparation for her editorial boldness?

Watch the full interview above, or listen to an audio version below:

LINKS:

CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor on YouTube

American Civil Wars: A Continental History by Alan Taylor on Amazon

The John Batchelor Show on Apple Podcasts:

The opinions expressed on this website and on The John Batchelor Show are those of John Batchelor and not those of CBS News.