No Property in Man Slavery and Antislavery at the Nation’s Founding

“Demonstrating that the Constitution both protected slavery and left open the possibility of an antislavery politics, Wilentz’s careful and insightful analysis helps us understand how Americans who hated slavery, such as Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, could come to see the Constitution as an ally in their struggle.” —Eric Foner, author of The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery