The American Nation: A History, Vol. 16

“Slavery and Abolition 1831—1841” by Albert Bushnell Hart, LLD. Professor of History at Harvard University. Published in 1906 by Harper and Brothers.

This book is in the public domain. It is read 'as written.'

“Volume 16 of 27 in The American Nation: A History from Original Sources by Associated Scholars” published by Harper Brothers (1904—1918). Edited by Albert Bushnell Hart, Professor of History at Harvard University.
In the Editor's Introduction to the series: That a new history of the United States is needed, extending from the discovery down to the present time, hardly needs a statement. No such comprehensive work by a competent writer is now in existence. Individual writers have treated only limited chronological fields. Meantime there, is a rapid increase of published sources and of serviceable monographs based on material hitherto unused. On the one side, there is a necessity for an intelligent summarizing of the present knowledge of American history by trained specialists; on the other hand, there is a need for a complete work, written in an untechnical style, which shall serve the instruction and the entertainment of the general reader.
From the Author's Preface: Except perhaps the struggle between patriots and tories at the outbreak of the Revolution, no controversy in the history of the United States has aroused such passion and led to such momentous results as that between the advocates and the opponents of slavery... The book has the double purpose of describing the conditions of slavery and the state of mind of those interested in it or against it, and at the same time recording the events which mark the anti-slavery agitation.
It is hard for a son and grandson of abolitionists to approach so explosive a question with impartiality, but the book is intended to show that there was more than one side to the controversy and that both the milder form of opposition called antislavery, and the extremer form called abolition were confronted by practical difficulties which to many public-spirited and conscientious men seemed insurmountable.