This Week on History Happy Hour: In the mid 19th Century, as America careened toward Civil War, Senator Charles Sumner was the conscience of the North. He denounced slavery’s evils to all who would listen and demanded that it be wiped out of existence. More than any other person of his era, he blazed the trail on the country’s long, uneven, and ongoing journey toward realizing its full promise to become a more perfect union.

This week, Chris and Rick welcome Stephen Puleo, author of a new biography of Sumner: The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union.

Stephen Puleo is a historian, teacher, public speaker, and the author of several books, including Voyage of Mercy, Dark Tide, American Treasures, and The Caning. A former award-winning newspaper reporter and contributor to American History magazine, the Boston Globe, and other publications, he holds a master's degree in history and has taught at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and Suffolk University. He and his wife, Kate, reside in the Boston area.