Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North

Abstract

If Civil War battlefields saw vast carnage, Northern home-front was itself far from tranquil. Fierce political debates set communities on edge, spurred secret plots against Union, and triggered widespread violence, such as New York City draft riots. And at heart of all this turmoil stood Northern anti-war Democrats, nicknamed Copperheads. Now, Jennifer L. Weber offers first full-length portrait of this powerful faction to appear in almost half a century. Weber reveals how Copperheads came perilously close to defeating Lincoln and ending war in South's favor. Indeed, by summer of 1864, they had grown so strong that Lincoln himself thought his defeat was exceedingly likely. Passionate defenders of civil liberties and states' rights--and often virulent racists--the Copperheads deplored Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, his liberal interpretation of Constitution, and, most vehemently, his moves toward emancipation. Weber reveals how battle over these issues grew so heated, particularly in Midwest, that Northerners feared their neighbors would destroy their livestock, burn their homes, even kill them. Indeed, some Copperheads went so far as to conspire with Confederate forces and plan armed insurrections, including an attempt to launch an uprising during Democratic convention in Chicago. Finally, Weber illuminates role of Union soldiers, who, furious at Copperhead attacks on war effort, moved firmly behind Lincoln. The soldiers' support for embattled president kept him alive politically in his darkest times, and their victories on battlefield secured his re-election. Disgraced after war, Copperheads melted into shadows of history. Here, Jennifer L. Weber illuminates their dramatic story. Packed with sharp observation and fresh interpretations, Copperheads is a gripping account of fierce dissent that Lincoln called the fire in rear.