Stephen Arnold Douglas

** "Stephen Arnold Douglas" by William Garrott Brown is a story about the life of Stephen A. Douglas, a big player in American politics before the Civil War. The book follows Douglas from his humble start in Vermont to his rise as a powerful senator from Illinois. It shows how he got involved in the big debates of the time, especially the arguments about slavery and whether new territories should allow it. The author paints a picture of a smart and ambitious man who used his words to climb the political ladder and put himself right in the middle of some of the most important events that shaped the nation. **