Emancipating Slaves,
Enslaving Free Men
A History of the American Civil War

Jeffrey Rogers Hummel

Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men is an exciting narrative history offering fresh insights into many aspects of the Civil War. Hummel sees the war between the states as simultaneously the culmination and repudiation of the American revolution: the war led to the emancipation of slaves, but also suppressed the aspirations of white Southerners for decentralized government. The Jacksonian minimalist U.S. government was transformed into an overbearing bureaucracy intruding into the everyday lives of Americans, with taxes, drafts, surveillance, subsidies, and regulations.

"This is a lucid, edifying account of the Civil War era. Mr. Hummel has an impressive command of the relevant contemporary literature. His interpretations are thoughtful, often provocative, always well worth considering. Civil War buffs will want this book on their shelves."
—Kenneth M. Stampp
University of California, Berkeley

"With its insightful analysis (not to mention the extensive bibliographical essays that elaborate each chapter), Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men will supply both the academic and Civil War buff with an added perspective on the cause and consequences of the Civil War."
—Publishers Weekly

"Hummel presents some uncomfortable truths for both sides of the Civil War . . . [he] illustrates some of the cost of the war, such as Lincoln's suppression of political opposition, the closing of dissenting newspapers, and the creation of big government."
—Library Journal