The monograph is dedicated to the period previous to the Civil War of 1861-1865 in the United States. The author pays special attention to the American public opinion concerning the most important problems of internal policy. The influence of the "New York Tribune" on the views, opinions and preferences of the Americans is analyzed. It is the first monograph in Russian historiography that provides for a thorough analysis of a leading periodical of the pre-war period as well as a detailed characteristic of the editorial staff and the journalists` views. Special attention is paid to Horace Greeley, the founder and the editor of the Tribune.
The monograph touches upon social-economic problems and party strife. The most significant compromise measures, the civil war in Kansas, the presidential elections of 1856 and 1860 are appreciated through the Tribune commentaries and simultaneously through the eyes of its readers. The result is a multicolored picture of the Northern public opinion and of the way the Northerners saw the situation on the eve of the Civil War. It allows deepening the view of the causes of the Second American Revolution. The author tries to prove the immense role of the public opinion in the country`s move towards the war. The monograph is intended for specialists, students and everybody interested in history.
