Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln's Vital Rival

"Salmon Chase, remembered mostly for his unusual name, was a founder of the Republican Party and a consistently principled anti-slavery advocate. His thinking was often ahead of that of his political peers, including Abraham Lincoln, on universal amnesty and suffrage. As Treasury secretary, he developed a national currency and banking system. As U.S. chief justice, he presided over the first presidential impeachment trial. For decades, there was speculation the reformer would be nominated for president, an honor he aspired to but never achieved. This biography captures the full life of one of the finest public servants of the 19th century."