Let Us Die to Make Men Free: American Slavery and Civil War in Global Perspective (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781476658612)

The most startling fact about the American Civil War is that it happened at all. In a world filled with slavery, secession, and war, it was unique. In no other country did enslavers start a war to protect slavery. Why were U.S. planters willing to risk their fortunes, sacrifice their lives, and destroy their country while enslavers elsewhere were not?

Most books about slavery and the American Civil War focus solely on events within the United States. In contrast, this book presents these topics in a global perspective and in the context of the world of the 19th century. By comparing the lives of seven individuals from the United States with individuals from the Caribbean, Hungary, Russia, China, Germany, South Africa, and Japan, it analyzes issues that other books rarely consider. The results are provocative. For example, many countries had slavery, but only the United States had an enslaved population that increased naturally. Many countries confronted significant secessionist movements, but only the United States had one that never rose again. Many countries defeated rebellions, but only the United States honored defeated rebels as heroes. From a global perspective, American exceptionalism was real, often in unexpected ways that shape the United States today.