The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2024

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Epilogue-Coda

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

How does Erik Larson’s choice to focus on the period before and after the Civil War, but leave out the war itself, contribute to his characterization of the people who lived through it, such as Major Anderson, Edmund Ruffin, and/or Mary Chesnut?

Describe the symbolism of Fort Sumter and how it evolved as South Carolina moved toward secession. What made the fort such an important focal point in the secession crisis? What is its wider significance in the text?

Pick two characters on different sides of the secession debate. How did their misunderstandings about the other side contribute to civil conflict and lead to war?