Tag: #History

Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876 (The Presidential Series)

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor illuminates the heroic life of Ulysses S. Grant

“To Rescue the Republic is narrative history at its absolute finest. A fast-paced, thrilling and enormously important book.” —Douglas Brinkley

An epic history spans the battlegrounds of the Civil War and the violent turmoil of Reconstruction. It also covers the forgotten electoral crisis that nearly fractured a reunited nation. Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Republic dramatically reveals Ulysses S. Grant’s essential yet underappreciated role in preserving the United States during an unprecedented period of division.

Born a tanner’s son in rugged Ohio in 1822, Grant was battle-tested by the Mexican American War. He met his destiny on the bloody fields of the Civil War. His daring and resolve as a general gained the attention of President Lincoln, then desperate for bold leadership. Lincoln appointed Grant as Lieutenant General of the Union Army in March 1864. Within a year, Grant’s forces had seized Richmond and forced Robert E. Lee to surrender.

Four years later, the reunified nation faced another leadership void after Lincoln’s assassination and an unworthy successor completed his term. Again, Grant answered the call. At stake once more was the future of the Union. The Southern states had been defeated. However, it was uncertain if the former Confederacy could be reintegrated into the country. It was also uncertain if the Union could ensure the rights and welfare of African Americans in the South. Grant met the challenge by boldly advancing an agenda of Reconstruction and aggressively countering the Ku Klux Klan.

In his final weeks in the White House, however, Grant faced a crisis that threatened to undo his life’s work. The contested presidential election of 1876 produced no clear victory for either Republican Rutherford B. Hayes or Democrat Samuel Tilden, who carried most of the former Confederacy. Soon Southern states vowed to revolt if Tilden was not declared the victor. Grant was determined to use his influence to preserve the Union, establishing an electoral commission to peaceably settle the issue. Grant brokered a grand bargain. He arranged for Republican Hayes to be installed as president. Concessions were made to the Democrats, which effectively ended Reconstruction. This painful compromise saved the nation, but tragically condemned the South to another century of civil-rights oppression.

Deep with contemporary resonance, the book is brimming with fresh detail. It takes readers from the battlefields of the Civil War to the corridors of power. Here, men decided the fate of the nation in back rooms. To Rescue the Republic reveals Grant, for all his complexity, to be among the first rank of American heroes.

George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment (The Presidential Series) 

Instant New York Times Bestseller

#1 New York Times bestselling author Bret Baier reveals how George Washington saved the Constitution–and the American experiment

“To Rescue The Constitution is a masterful exploration of the electrifying struggle to unite a young United States.” —Jay Winik

A sweeping narrative ranges from the unsettled early American frontier and the battlefields of the Revolution. It also covers the history-making clashes within Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Constitution dramatically illuminates the life of George Washington. He was the essential Founding Father. He did more than perhaps any other individual to secure the future of the United States.

George Washington rescued the nation three times. First, he led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War. Second, he presided over the Constitutional Convention that set the blueprint for the United States. He also ushered the Constitution through a fractious ratification process. Third, he led the nation as its first president. In this compelling work of American history, the struggling new nation needed to be rescued. Washington was the only American who could bring them together.

After the victorious War of Independence, the nation fractured. A spirit of unity and patriotism might have been expected. However, division took place instead. The states were no more than a loosely knit and contentious confederation, with no strong central union. The urgent need for nation building prompted the calling of a Constitutional Convention. This gathering was to meet in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.

Setting aside his plan to retire to Mount Vernon, Washington agreed to be a delegate at Philadelphia. There he was unanimously elected president of the convention. Washington successfully brought the Constitution into being. He then sacrificed any hope of returning to private life. He accepted the unanimous election to be the nation’s first president. Washington was not known for brilliant oratory or prose. However, his quiet and steady leadership gave life to the Constitution. He demonstrated how it should be enacted.

In this vivid and moving portrait of early America’s struggles, Baier captures the critical moments that defined the nation. Washington’s leadership brought the nation back from the brink of collapse. Baier exposes an early America that is grittier and far more divided. This is a depiction often different from what is portrayed. We can see this division reflected in today’s conflicts.

This gripping work of narrative nonfiction reveals:

• A Leader Forged in War: Follow George Washington from the battlefields of the Revolution to the presidency, as he rescues the young nation not once, but three separate times.
• The Fight for the Constitution: Go inside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall for the history-making clashes and fractious debates that defined the Constitutional Convention and the future of the American experiment.
• The First Presidency: Discover how Washington’s quiet, steady leadership as the nation’s first president gave life to the Constitution, showing a fledgling country how its new government should be enacted.
• A Nation Divided: Uncover an early America that is grittier and far more divided than often portrayed—a searching look into our past that holds a mirror to the conflicts of today.