{"product_id":"9780718022235_the-peace-that-almost-was","title":"The Peace That Almost Was","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA narrative history of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference, the bipartisan, last-ditch effort to prevent the Civil War, an effort that nearly averted the carnage that followed. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn February 1861, most of America's great statesmen--including a former president, dozens of current and former senators, Supreme Court justices, governors, and congressmen--came together at the historic Willard Hotel in a desperate attempt to stave off Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeven southern states had already seceded, and the conferees battled against time to craft a compromise to protect slavery and thus preserve the union and prevent war. Participants included former President John Tyler, General William Sherman's Catholic step-father, General Winfield Scott, and Lincoln's future Treasury Secretary, Salmon Chase--and from a room upstairs at the hotel, Lincoln himself. Revelatory and definitive, \u003cem\u003eThe Peace That Almost Was\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates that slavery was the main issue of the conference--and thus of the war itself--and that no matter the shared faith, family, and friendships of the participants, ultimately no compromise could be reached.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Senior Lecturer in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Mark Tooley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40702323982385,"sku":"9780718022235","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0571\/9926\/3793\/files\/9780718022235.jpg?v=1780471141","url":"https:\/\/bakerbookhouse.com\/products\/9780718022235_the-peace-that-almost-was","provider":"Baker Book House ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}