Slavery, Antislavery, and the Coming of the Civil War

In this intriguing essay, Ariela Gross previews her new book on the role of proslavery and antislavery contests over law and constitution in the antebellum era. She makes the case that the law operated on two levels: the everyday level, where disputes were mediated and slavery was protected; and the national level, where disputes about the constitutional status of slaves in the territories, fugitive slaves, and other heady issues led to considerable conflict between proslavery and antislavery forces. The essay is here.