My new paper, From Antislavery Lawyer to Chief Justice: The Remarkable But Forgotten Career of Salmon P. Chase, has just been uploaded to SSRN. It will serve as the basis for my Canary-Sumner Lecture at Case Western Reserve University School of Law on September 27th. Here is the abstract:
Salmon P. Chase was as responsible as any single person for the abolition of chattel slavery in the United States. Yet his name is barely known and his career is largely forgotten. In this paper, the author seeks to revive his memory by tracing the arc of his career from antislavery lawyer, to antislavery politician, to Chief Justice of the United States. In addition to explaining why this is a career worth both remembering and honoring, the author offers some possible reasons why his remarkable achievements have largely been forgotten.
You might find it a good read. Download it here.