The election of 1860 would alter the trajectory of the United States. First, the party conventions had to decide which candidates would run for the presidency, and second, Americans would make their choice. Easy, right? Not so fast. What happens when a national convention falls apart? What happens when not two, not three, but when four candidates are running for the highest office? And what does the lame duck President, who is counting the days until he can leave Washington, do when the government might very well unravel and come apart at the seams? While Americans are wondering how they’ll define what “home” truly means, the people of South Carolina decide they know the answer and take matters into their own hands.

Recommended Booklist

In addition to all be books from previous episodes, take a look at these…

Achorn, Edward. The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023.

Dickey, Christopher. Our Man in Charleston: Britain’s Secret Agent in the Civil War South. New York: Crown Publishers, 2015.

Foote, Shelby. The Civil War – A Narrative. Volume 1: Secession to Fort Henry. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1998.

Larson, Erik. The Demon of Unrest. New York: Crown Publishing, 2024.

Swanberg, W. A. First Blood: The Story of Fort Sumter. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1957.

Season 1 Episode 5 – Stars and Banners

Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative.
Host: Scott Holmgren
Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com