Francis W. Pickens and the Politics of Destruction

Pickens (1807-69) was the first Civil War governor of South Carolina, the most difficult governorship in the nations history. He led that state during the secession, prepared for and went to war, urged sister southern states to secede, and embarked on a novel experiment in government. Edmunds shows Pickens as always seeking higher political position, only to be trapped by his own ambitions, flawed personality, and self-generated animosities.

Originally published in 1986.

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