What Didn’t Make it into The Great Abolitionist

Since so many readers have written to tell me they’ve enjoyed The Great Abolitionist, I thought people would find it interesting to read a few scenes and stories that did NOT make it into the book – as with any work of history, revealing information sometimes has to be dropped for space and narrative reasons. For that reason, I have just posted my first blog in a series I’m calling “What Didn’t Make it into The Great Abolitionist.” These entries will be longer than a usual blog – think of them as mini-chapters or vignettes that offer additional insight into Charles Sumner’s character and influence.

Dropped Story 1: “A Widow’s Pension”

In the first of the series (click here), “A Widow’s Pension,” Charles Sumner is instrumental in securing a Congressional pension for financially destitute former First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln. I’ll publish these “dropped stories” periodically and will let you know when I do so. Thanks again for your kind words about The Great Abolitionist, and I hope you enjoy the additional material. Let me know what you think!

Dropped Story 2: “A Charles Sumner Letter Electrifies The Nation”

In the second installment of the series, “What Didn’t Make it into The Great Abolitionist,” is “A Charles Sumner Letter Electrifies the Nation,” Sumner uses his influence to free Pennsylvania abolitionist Passmore Williamson from jail in one of the most highly celebrated episodes of the antislavery era.

Dropped Story 3: “A Midnight Treaty”

Charles Sumner’s moral courage and authenticity on the great issues of slavery and equal rights helped him exert influence on many other matters.  The U.S. acquisition of “Russian America” – the massive territory that would become known as Alaska – was one of them.

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