Register of the Kentucky Historical Society journal reviews Holding the Political Center in Illinois: Conservatism and Union on the Brink of the Civil War by Ian Iverson. Article hosted by Project Muse.

“Iverson provides a clear case as to how conservatism was central to Illinois voters in the years immediately before the Civil War, and how politicians like Douglas and Lincoln adapted to meet their constituents’ expectations. He argues that Illinois had a unique interest in conservatism compared to other states, specifically citing Indiana and Pennsylvania (p. 5). The role of double agents in both states, notably Richard W. Thompson and John Forney, helped doubtful Constitutional Unionists and Douglas Democrats accept Lincoln as a viable conservative option. One wonders if teasing out that comparison would reveal a larger culture of conservatism across the white North by the 1850s.”—Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

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