National Epic. The events of 1850-1877 form the central drama in the history of American politics, a sequence of riveting episodes enacted by a cast of colorful characters and featuring astonishing twists of plot with profound implications. Although the major events of course connect to earlier and later developments, the narrative coherence of the period is remarkable. The set piece that opens the era, the Compromise of 1850, was perceived even by contemporaries as a grand conclusion to previous phases of American history. The debate marked a transition between the era of Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster, who had played leading roles in politics since the War of 1812, and a generation of newcomers that included Stephen A. Douglas, Jefferson Davis, William Henry Seward, and Salmon P. Chase. The primary issue at hand—the status of slavery in the federal territories wrested from Mexico—was one that...