Field of Blood

In 'The Field of Blood,' Joanne B. Freeman uncovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S.

Congress during the antebellum period.

The book details mortal threats, canings, fistfights, and duels among congressmen, particularly over the issue of slavery.

Freeman uses the diaries of Benjamin Brown French, a house clerk, along with congressional reports and newspaper articles, to illustrate how these violent incidents reflected and exacerbated sectional tensions between the North and South.

The book highlights the role of emotions, honor, and party loyalty in these conflicts and how they contributed to the eventual outbreak of the Civil War. Freeman's narrative brings the antebellum Congress to life, revealing its rough realities and nation-shaping import.