Synopses & Reviews
From a pool of barely nine thousand men of military age, Nebraskaand#8212;still a territory at the timeand#8212;sent more than three thousand soldiers to the Civil War. They fought and died for the Union cause, were wounded, taken prisoner, and in some cases deserted. But Nebraskaand#8217;s military contribution is only one part of the more complex and interesting story that James E. Potter tells in
Standing Firmly by the Flag, the first book to fully explore Nebraskaand#8217;s involvement in the Civil War and the warand#8217;s involvement in Nebraskaand#8217;s evolution from territory to thirty-seventh state on March 1, 1867.
Although distant from the major battlefronts and seats of the warring governments, Nebraskans were aware of the warand#8217;s issues and subject to its consequences. National debates about the origins of the rebellion, the policies pursued to quell it, and what kind of nation should emerge once it was over echoed throughout Nebraska. Potter explores the warand#8217;s impact on Nebraskans and shows how, when Nebraska Territory sought admission to the Union at warand#8217;s end, it was caught up in political struggles over Reconstruction, the fate of the freed slaves, and the relationship between the states and the federal government.
Review
"The Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854 offers a unique perspective on both the national impact of the bill and the history of the Great Plains."—Gary L. Cheatham, Great Plains Quarterly Civil War Book Review
Review
"The Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854 offers a unique perspective on both the national impact of the bill and the history of the Great Plains."Gary L. Cheatham, Great Plains Quarterly
Review
"This is a well-balanced book with innovative essays by outstanding scholars. It might seem specialized, but the essays, deeply researched as they are, are eminently readable. And there is no question about the enormous importance of the topic. Of all the candidates for the moment at which the United States began the steep slide toward Civil War, the Kansas-Nebraska debate of 1854 ranks high."—Craig Miner, Civil War Book Review Craig Miner
Review
"Standing by the Flag: Nebraska Territory and the Civil War, 1861-1867 deserves a great deal of credit for taking on a subject previously unexamined. In effectively doing so, it significantly enhances our knowledge and understanding the Civil War west of the Mississippi."and#8212;Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors
Review
andquot;Well written, Standing Firmly by the Flag is a readable and engaging account of the Civil War in an area hardly ever touched upon by most books on the subject, and will prove rewarding reading for anyone interested in America in the mid-nineteenth century.andquot;andmdash;A. A. Nofi, Strategy Page
Review
"Standing Firmly by the Flag is required reading for anyone who hopes to understand Nebraska's Civil War experience."and#8212;Kurt Hackemer, Annals of Iowa
Review
"The author's commitment to detail and analysis of events as they relate to the broader context of Nebraska and national history make it a "must read" for professional historians, and yet the reader-friendly style will also appeal to more general audiences less familiar with such history."and#8212;Donald C. Simmons Jr., South Dakota State Historical Society
Review
"Potter has written a well-researched work, one that helps carve a wider niche for Nebraska's role in the Civil War while providing context for the development of the Great Plains."and#8212;Tim McNeese, Great Plains Quarterly
Review
"Standing Firmly by the Flag will likely stand for a long while as the most appealing history of Nebraska's civil war within the Civil War."and#8212;Christopher Phillips, Kansas History
Synopsis
The Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854 turns upside down the traditional way of thinking about one of the most important laws ever passed in American history. The act that created Nebraska and Kansas also, in effect, abolished the Missouri Compromise, which had prohibited slavery in the region since 1820. This bow to local control outraged the nation and led to vicious confrontations, including Kansass subsequent mini-civil war. The essays in this volume shift the focus from the violent and influential reaction of “Bleeding Kansas” to the role that Nebraska played in this decisive moment. Essays from both established and new scholars examine the historical context and significance of this statute. They treat American political culture of the 1850s; American territorial history; the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and Frederick Douglass in the creation and implementation of the law; the reactions of African Americans to the act; and the comparative impact on Nebraskans and Kansans. At the 150th anniversary of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, as it came to be known, these scholars reexamine the political, social, and personal contexts of this act and its effect on the course of American history.
About the Author
John R. Wunder is a professor of history and journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of numerous books, including “Retained by the People”: A History of American Indians and the Bill of Rights, and the coauthor of Americans View Their Dust Bowl Experience. Joann M. Ross has a JD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is currently a history instructor at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts and is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Contributors include: Nicole Etcheson, Tekla Ali Johnson, Mark E. Neely Jr., Phillip S. Paludan, James A. Rawley, Brenden Rensink, Joann M. Ross, Walter C. Rucker, and John R. Wunder.