9780393239935

The Scorpion's Sting

by James Oakes

Format: Hardcover

ISBN13: 9780393239935

Hardcover|9780393239935

✨ Featured Offer

Used, Very Good

$8.43

List Price: $23.95

🚚

FREE standard delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

See all 5 offers from $5.95

Overview

Surrounded by a ring of fire, the scorpion stings itself to death. The image, widespread among antislavery leaders before the Civil War, captures their long-standing strategy for peaceful abolition: they would surround the slave states with a cordon of freedom. They planned to use federal power wherever they could to establish freedom: the western territories, the District of Columbia, the high seas. By constricting slavery they would induce a crisis: slaves would escape in ever-greater numbers, the southern economy would falter, and finally the southern states would abolish the institution themselves. For their part the southern states fully understood this antislavery strategy. They cited it repeatedly as they adopted secession ordinances in response to Lincoln's election.

The scorpion's sting is the centerpiece of this fresh, incisive exploration of slavery and the Civil War: Was there a peaceful route to abolition? Was Lincoln late to emancipation? What role did race play in the politics of slavery? With stunning insight James Oakes moves us ever closer to a new understanding of the most momentous events in our history.

ISBN-13

9780393239935

ISBN-10

0393239934

Weight

0.80 Pounds

Dimensions

6.00 x 0.80 x 8.60 In

List Price

$23.95

Edition

1st Edition

Format

Hardcover

Language

English

Pages

160 pages

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Published On

2014-05-19


View All Offers

Sort by:

Rows per page:

1–5 of 5

Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
Used, Good
Seller details
Zoom Books East
★★★★☆

Glendale Heights, IL, USA

Book is in very good condition and may include minimal underlining highlighting. The book can also i...
$5.95

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

Used, Good
Seller details
Greenworld Books
★★★★☆

Arlington, TX, USA

Good condition. It may show normal signs of use such as light writing highlighting or library markin...
$5.96

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

✨ Used, Very Good
Seller details
HPB-Diamond
★★★★☆

Dallas, TX, USA

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
$8.43

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

Used, Very Good
Seller details
HPB-Ruby
★★★★☆

Dallas, TX, USA

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
$8.69

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026

Used, Good
Seller details
Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB
★★★★★

Frederick, MD, USA

Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain m...
$9.38

 Free delivery by: 05 Apr 2026


Bookstores.com relies on cookies to improve your experience.