and the house floor what is the code of the country? i believe it was founded on the judeo-christian values that is that the part of our constitution and so this book will give me a lot of information how to direct folks. >> do you find members of congress sharing book ideas with each other?. >> absolutely. every meeting i am in somebody said to have to read this. mostly the art of the deal. everybody needs to read that by our president by the way.

. >> all location from the campus of ucla talking to professors who were also authors and history professor is our guest co-author of the american war. 1850 give us the snapshot of the united states. >> the first year of the decade that brought on the secession crisis leading to civil war. that was the year that california came in to the union and also of the year that a compromise was forged they did not know that then but they know it now that saved the union and was by the north in the south that

involved a number of major changes to the way the territories would come into the united states involving pac it -- passage and other compromises and labor wusses happy about. >> what was that compromise?. >> the compromise of 1850 the you mean the specifics introducing the idea that came into the united states to under the doctrine of popular sovereignty they

could decide if they would be free or a slave state. and that led to a was called in history the little civil war in kansas. >> so that's compromise preserves the union but there are other compromises that preserve the union the compromise between the founding fathers when they came to write the u.s. constitution of these were in trouble with the northern and southern sections those

that were anti-slavery but in order for a the country to maintain its stability the compromise had to be made but to have all the compromises that were made that it did not work any more. a political party disappeared in the republican party was born. and even with the kansas and that controversy one after another it was quite a decade. >> some would say it delayed the inevitable. >> i think we would say that if we were looking back

something that historians have as an obligation to is take the path on its own terms they did not know what would happen in 1850 or 1860. so in the past we think what should have happened and try to understand on its own terms. >> the south had disproportionate influence from many decades. >> if you look at the first presidents except the adams with washington being principal and jefferson and

madison and monroe. they were slaveholders. and it was the executive branch and for most of the time they did not win the presidential election so was the seveners that held the power and that started to change in the 1850's for a variety of reasons and they felt threatened by bad. >> looking back was there a point that you say we could have prevented the civil war?. >> one of the points with

that dread, scott decision if it is non what did he did you do that blacks were never citizens and never could be in the united states federal government had no right to stop slavery from going into any territory so that is one decision at least might have arrested the civil war. but the politicians they didn't realize how angry the electorate was an to especially misjudge that sentiment in the south and

when they did realize that it was too late. >> economically the north in the south what were they like?. >> in the '50s the spectacle of the economy that, and the economy fuelling the rise of manufacturing with other great aspects and the growth was phenomenal but the very success in the economic system work which works very well together that the northerners benefited from the slave economy and investment companies benefit it as part of the international economic structure as well with that

the spread of that system with the desire of both sections to expand in the western territory brought labor to the slave labor and that is a remarkable story that is such an issue that is sent to establish that content - - connecticut plantation but the security of this amazingly successful where the state already existed. >> you alluded to this with

the eyes of the leaked -- he leads. what about most citizens? were there where?. >> talking about those of the 19th century but we have studied to the electorate but also not expecting that what they did know about compromise that both the north and south the fire eaters and there was embraced by a majority of senators they were pretty

much living their lives to make sure they had a better life than they did and it in the scandals plaguing the of 1856 through 60 and a lot goes on. >> james buchanan is usually at the bottom. >> you can imagine a more prepared man to be president and james buchanan. in 1856 he was a politician

and dave mr. broad and well-known and well-respected and brought with the hope he can calm things down the way he conducted his administration that he did negative and brought the country to a greater intensity instead of pacifying. >> lincoln was president a month before the prior to that and during the buchanan administration weren't they inclined toward that?. >> the buchanan administration was in power through march 4th and they

had to deal with of secession of the first seven states and had to figure out the position that you would take a nap was called the secession winter - - printer that we would do all that we could virginia or north carolina and tennessee to stay in the united states how to redo that? the union investment was strong so to put that forward at this time do you know about that amendment to have the support of many northern politicians including men

that would be considered abolitionists' politicians nothing the of north could do to stop slavery in the south because it is constitutionally protected but this amendment was floated and gradually became coalescing around the amendment and perpetuity in those states where it existed the 13th amendment you could never abolish slavery but james buchanan signed off and congress passed it to and i believe in three states began the process by that time for sumpter happened.

it is a story that should remind us to not assume about the past to stop the war they did not want with great destruction and sadness they almost did it but they did not. >> what percent of the of population. >>. >> in this out those upper southern states during this crisis wanted to be preserved and that is part

of the economic prosperity virginia turndown secession they did not want to do what unless they were forced and that is why fort sumter was so importuned that there would be no coercion to keep those seven original states on the confederate states of america and with four sumpter that was all:. >> who are those fire eaters? to make carolina have been?. >> so now i am for getting on the name. south carolina was a unique state and colony from the

very beginning have a black majority and south carolina politicians and the business leaders you could call them frantic and fanatic about preserving the safety when every -- never the threat was issued and come up in the mexican war so they always provided that seedbed. so when we associate that theory of secession with the south carolina politician he

was the leader and the inspiration for those who saw that as the only logical way increasingly coming to call their country so what you have by the end of the civil war is how the confederate states of america view itself as the two nations states each of whom have a legitimate reason to exist with that drumbeat of secession by the men who were prepared for it to get that large section

only interested in staying in their way of life to be preserved and convince them that was the way to go. >> when they leave washington to return to the southern roots? he died not long after and what he participated to save the union but jefferson davis was the last southern senator to leave washington d.c.. and those who would assume the of high position and that confederate government every and richmond and they

were moderates with a lot of seasoning and experience one where the other and they were the ones that were the spokesman for the confederate nation at home and abroad. >> did jefferson davis have any relationship with abraham lincoln?. >> yes. there was a lot written and i cannot recall if they ever met. i doubt it but jefferson davis vice president had a friendship when he served as

a congressman and. and they were friends and lincoln wrote a letter i mean stevens wrote a letter while he was waiting to come to washington just after he was elected to be president wondering if there is anything they could do and he wrote back, i would really like to be able to work this out but we don't seem to be able to agree on the extension of slavery. and he said that is the route to the one to extend to make it national and we want to restructure that. >> is a written for a scholarly audience?. >> we rode for our students

gary gallagher has been teaching over 30 i have been teaching over 20. there was no short worse instinct for provocative textbook to combine in a the chronological of political economic to have those and the chapters on reconstruction and also in memory. and the progress of the of for reconstruction and memory and the 12 chapters

than 20 pages and we were very pleased and we do know this the basis of which that students and readers who will not invest the time in a 500 or 800 page one volume work of the civil war to excite them and get them to where they need to go helped along by our suggestions. >> what do you teach here?.

>> reconstruction and that period called the gilded age. >> assembly in your life to that because of your interest your vocation?. >> at what point in my life was it not. >> but that is a very anti- intellectual thing for you to say. i am teasing you because i a mouse that all the time that people was the angeles should only be interested in los angeles to say but they don't care about the civil war. with those baseless allegations for those who live in los angeles but i have always been fascinated in history with biography is

written for children one on clara barton was my favorite but i went on to read history and biography and became fascinated by favor a century was always 19th century and it is history. it has propelled me through good luck and good fortune for a job in ucla teaching undergraduate students every year that is an incredible period. i hope they use that path to try to the understand the present. we know we cannot predict the future. >> the american war is the name of the book. ucla professor is the co-author