[Gutenberg 5123] • The Contest in America

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Illustrations included

Original & Unabridged Edition

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Classic historical fiction books

Extremely well formatted

The Contest in America is a remarkable book by the philosopher John Stuart Mill that helps put into better context and perspective the early reasons behind the US Civil War and sentiments about it on both sides of the Atlantic. This was a good reminder that the war started out to contain slavery, not necessarily end it, and that old sentiments die hard and much of the populace of England supported secession on the one hand while opposing slavery on the other. Mill manages to prophesize that should the war go on long and the north win it will lead to an abolition of slavery. This is a clear, straightforward and interesting read for anyone interested in philosophy, history, or politics. Additionally, he concludes with an important reminder that some fights are just and that when we lose our will we become loathsome. Money quote - "A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature, who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by exertions of better men than himself."