What are the motifs in The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner?

Politics is a recurring idea through the book. In the 1800s, slavery was the hot topic in politics. Modern readers might compare the fight over slavery in Lincoln's time with the ongoing debate over abortion or gay marriage. Slavery was about the basic human rights of an entire race of people. During this time period, many believed that blacks were not the same as whites, that they did not have souls or that they could not possibly have the same intelligence as white people. Blacks were only good for manual labor, and the labor they provided supported the economy of a whole section of the United States. These beliefs made the debate over the institution of slavery a complicated and challenging one.