John P. Hale and the Politics of Abolition (review)

180civil war history fundamental—by 1830 slaves made up almost 40 per cent of the population . Com and cotton were the main crops, but cotton was truly king. Southern Alabama traded through Mobile, but the northern part of the state dealt with New Orleans, and the two regions had relatively little intercourse. Transportation and communication facilities in this new land were woefully inadequate, and cultural and educational opportunities were quite limited, especially in the rural areas. The Baptists and Methodists quickly established their traditional dominance in the state, and the Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches attracted smaller followings . Criminals, rowdies, gamblers, and ne'er-do-wells of every description appeared, but neither they nor the wealthy planters were the majority. The great mass of the early Alabamians were small farmers, hard-working, hospitable, sturdy folk, typical western Americans. These ambitious yeomen seldom clashed with the planters. The state's liberal constitution gave the farmers the balance of political power, but they were usually willing to entrust leadership to the better prepared, more knowledgeable planters . Generally sharp class conflict was absent in the fluid, democratic society of nascent Alabama. The University of Alabama Press has performed a real service in issuing this revised edition of The Formative Period in Alabama in its Southern Historical Publications series. It remains a solid work, essential for an understanding of Alabama history and useful for an appreciation of young America. The expert will find weak spots in this monograph, particularly in light of recent scholarship. The treatment of slavery, for example, is somewhat superficial, but on the whole this work stands the test of scholarship. The graduate student struggling for a Ph.D. degree might well examine this book to see what a first-rate dissertation should be and can become. It is not surprising that the young graduate student who presented this work to Professor Frederick Jackson Turner of Harvard almost half a century ago became a truly outstanding historian. F. N. Boney Washington State University John P. Hale and the Politics of Abolition. By Richard H. Sewell. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965. Pp. viii, 290. $6.50.) The spectrum of antislavery thought during the decades preceding the Civil War was remarkably broad; even among the abolitionists there existed a wide variety of thought and expression. One result of the currently popular re-examination of abolitionism is the demonstration that the abolition movement was not as monolithic or intellectually unified as it has frequently been described. Certainly, this fine biography of John P. Hale confirms that conclusion. The story of Hale's career, as Professor Sewell tells it, makes interesting BOOK REVIEWS181 and thoughtful reading; it seems strange that this should be the first full-length biography of Hale to be written. Hale's neglect by historians was not the result of an empty or unimportant career. On the contrary, Hale's record as a politician and public servant brought him considerable distinction during his lifetime. From a successful career in New Hampshire state politics, Hale entered national politics in 1843 as a new member of Congress. It was a time when the question of slavery, both in its moral terms and in its relation to expansion, was beginning to boil. He attracted attention almost immediately for his outspoken abolitionist views and the next few years witnessed his rapid ascent to heights of political prominence. Through his skillful organization of the Whigs, Independent Democrats and Liberty party men in New Hampshire, he won election to the United States Senate in 1847. Later that same year, he was nominated for the Presidency by the Liberty Party; five years later, in 1852, he was the candidate of the Free Democrats (Free Soilers) for the highest office. Hale continued to serve in the Senate during the last troubled years of the 1850's and the turbulent Civil War years but it soon became apparent that he had passed the peak of his career. Hale's abolitionism was not of the kind that would relegate him to the background. Firm in his abolitionist principles, he nevertheless tempered his views with a strong constitutionalism. His biographer classifies him as a "moderate abolitionist"; indeed, he was frequently regarded with some...