#378 The Elections of 1858 (Midterm Elections Series #1)

Would Kansas be admitted as a slave state? Would the US purchase Cuba from Spain (and perhaps admit it as another slave state)? And what could be done in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in Dredd Scott vs. Sanford, that Congress could not regulate slavery in the territories? These questions make 1858 one of the most consequential midterm elections in American history, as well as a great place to kick off RTN's midterm election series. In this 4-part series, Ben and Bob, along with a few special guests, will be looking at what they consider to be the most important midterm elections in American history. With the midterms of 2026 just around the corner, we hope these episodes will put things in context and convince you that midterm elections are just as, and sometimes more important, than the Presidential elections that only roll around every 4 years. Sources referenced in this conversation: -Joanne Freeman, The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018). -James McPherson, Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction (McGraw-Hill, 2009). -Heather Cox Richardson, To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party (Basic Books, 2014). This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.