Hinton Helper

Published in New York in 1857, The Impending Crisis of the South provided some heavy artillery for abolitionist leaders in the North. The only book to directly provoke a Congressional debate over slavery in the United States Congress, it combined skillful use of statistics with powerful rhetoric, inspiring widespread praise as well as bitter denunciation. It was said that no one reading Helper's fiery prose came away neutral in the fight over slavery.

Hinton Rowan Helper had been a complete unknown, a small-time farmer from rural North Carolina who migrated north to publish his book at his own expense. As an antislavery southerner, he attracted the support of Horace Greeley, an influential New York newspaper editor who opposed the extension of legalized slavery to the western states and territories. Helper also found sponsorship from the newly founded Republican party, whose...