Fergus Bordewich talked about his book, America’s Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas and the Compromise That Preserved the Union. In it he tells the story of the nation’s westward expansion, slavery, and the Compromise of 1850, centering on the congressional debate of 1849-1850 and two senators who sought to shape the future course of the Union. He responded to questions from members of the audience.
This was an event in the History and Biography Pavilion of the 12th annual National Book Festival, held on the National Mall.