Tells the remarkable story of Mary Walker, who in August 1848 fled her owner for refuge in the North and spent the next seventeen years trying to recover her son and daughter. Her freedom, like that of thousands who escaped from bondage, came at a great price - remorse at parting without a word, fear for her family's fate.
The book explores the impact of Jacksonian democracy on Daniel Webster's political career and the Whig Party's evolution. Nathans presents Webster as a relic of a bygone era, navigating a shifting political landscape that favored mass participation over traditional hierarchies. Through extensive primary research, the author examines Webster's opposition to Jackson, his involvement in key conflicts like the Bank War and the nullification crisis, and the Whigs' struggle to adapt to emerging voter-oriented politics from 1828 to 1844.