Yeah, the era where pro-slavery congressmen would beat their abolitionist peers in the Senate chambers [0] was definitely a high point in American politics.
The 1850s and 1860s were a battleground leading up to the literal battleground of the Civil War and the “quality of political debate” declined severely as the government became more and more polarized on the issue of slavery.
The 1850s and 1860s were a battleground leading up to the literal battleground of the Civil War and the “quality of political debate” declined severely as the government became more and more polarized on the issue of slavery.
[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_of_Charles_Sumner