The war before the war

In 'The War Before the War,' Andrew Delbanco explores the critical role that fugitive slaves played in exposing the deep divisions within the United States from its founding to the Civil War. The book challenges traditional narratives by centering the experiences of enslaved men and women who risked their lives to escape bondage, thereby highlighting the moral and political complexities surrounding slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act. Delbanco's work is a deep meditation on the social imperatives of comity and compromise, offering a compelling historical narrative that recasts our understanding of the lead-up to the Civil War.