John C. Calhoun (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

This 1882 volume in the American Statesmen series was the first scholarly biography of Calhoun, the "e;cast-iron man"e; of South Carolina, whose fiery oratory hastened the South toward secession. Holst's presentation of Calhoun is colored by his own profound antipathy for slaveryan institution Calhoun famously championed as "e;a positive good."e;