The Presidents War Analysis

From page one of The Presidents’ War it becomes immensely apparent that DeRose has undertaken a very ambitious task. His purpose is to present the prelude period of the American Civil War from the perspectives of the six presidents that were alive during the period. These presidents; John Tyler, Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and Abraham Lincoln, all had different agendas that they pursued throughout their terms in office, differing views about the role of the office of the presidency in society, and differing views about the separation between the north and the south and how to solve the problems that separated them. These differing points of view come into sharp focus within DeRose’s narration. The …show more content…
In the end, Lincoln changed the presidency and broke with its traditional place in American Society, just as the five former presidents feared he would do. Lincoln was responsible for making the office of the presidency and the executive branch, a dynamic force of change in American Society in the hands of the right president. In doing so, Lincoln also expanded the powers of the Presidency and created new traditions, such as the use of the office of the presidency to work as an agent for good in American Society. This is a tradition that continues to this day.
DeRose’s book takes the reader through one of the tenser periods of American history, and does so from the perspective of the presidents who helped craft the policies that led to civil war. From the threat of force over nullification, to the end of the greatest question that has faced American society, DeRose presents his work through a methodical and heavily researched narrative that spans nearly 30 years of history. By the end of the book, the reader is left with motivations of all of the great men that filled the office of the presidency during this tense period in American