As a Harvard alumnus, diplomat, US President, member of Congress and attorney before the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams had a unique relationship with slavery. Prickly and curmudgeonly, he danced with abolitionists, but never became one himself. However, Adams did harbour an intense hatred for the arguments of Southern slaveholders, and eventually found himself in the centre of America's greatest struggle.

Informed by Adams's revealing and often tormented musings from his vast diary, this sweeping narrative offers a unique and gripping account of John Quincy Adams's battle with slavery, while exploring the many fault lines in American society that led to the Civil War. Also included are the dramatic showdowns on the floors of the House of Representatives and Supreme Court, as well as Adams's attempts at outsmarting Southern politicians and his efforts to keep slavery at the forefront of Congressional activities.