From Secession to Insurrection: The Demon of Unrest and America’s Repeating History
Erik Larson’s The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War offers a deeply researched and gripping narrative of the five months leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. By focusing on the political calculations, ideological rigidity, and outright fear-mongering that drove the country toward conflict, Larson dismantles the long-standing myth that the war was fought over states’ rights rather than slavery. His work also serves as a cautionary tale, particularly in light of modern political events, most notably the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
The Myth of States’ Rights and the Reality of Slavery
One of Larson’s key arguments is that slavery was the fundamental issue that led to the Civil War, even though many today still attempt to reframe the conflict as a noble struggle for states’ rights. As he demonstrates, the Southern states were not merely fighting for autonomy; they were fighting to preserve and expand a system of racial subjugation. The Confederate states seceded precisely because they feared that Abraham Lincoln’s presidency threatened the institution of slavery. Larson meticulously shows how the rhetoric of states’ rights was used as a smokescreen to mask the deeper moral and economic interests at play.
This misrepresentation of history finds disturbing echoes in today’s political climate. Just as 19th-century secessionists claimed victimhood while actively seeking to preserve an oppressive system, many modern political figures have sought to recast their anti-democratic actions as a defense of “freedom” and “patriotism.” The parallels are particularly striking when examining the events leading up to the January 6 insurrection.
The January 6 Insurrection and the Parallels to Secession
Larson explicitly connects the events of 1860-1861 to the turmoil surrounding Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. In both cases, a faction refused to accept the legitimacy of an election and responded with extremism and violence. The Confederate leaders, unwilling to accept Lincoln’s victory, abandoned the democratic process and turned to armed rebellion. Similarly, Donald Trump and his allies, unable to accept Joe Biden’s victory, spread baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud, encouraged resistance, and ultimately incited a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol.
The Republican Party’s role in fomenting this attack cannot be overstated. Trump’s rhetoric—his refusal to concede, his repeated claims of a stolen election, and his call for supporters to “fight like hell”—created an atmosphere in which violence seemed like the only recourse for his most ardent followers. Republican members of Congress, including Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, amplified these falsehoods, fueling the belief that democracy itself had been subverted. Right-wing media outlets and extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers acted as modern-day secessionists, believing they were engaged in a battle to “save” the country, when in reality, they were attempting to subvert it.
Just as Southern leaders in the 1860s wrapped their cause in patriotic language while defending an indefensible institution, the instigators of January 6 disguised their attack on democracy as a patriotic uprising. Both movements relied on historical distortions, grievance politics, and the manipulation of fear to rally support. And just as the Confederacy ultimately led the South to devastation, the attack on the Capitol severely damaged American democracy, undermining faith in elections and deepening the nation’s political divide.
A Warning from History
The Demon of Unrest is more than just a Civil War history—it is a warning. Larson’s narrative reveals how a refusal to accept political defeat can escalate into full-scale national crisis. The ideological rigidity, disinformation, and violent threats that characterized the secession crisis are once again present in American politics today. The events of January 6 show that the past is not as distant as we might like to believe.
While the Civil War ultimately led to the abolition of slavery, it also left deep scars that still shape our political landscape. The failure to fully reckon with the causes of that conflict—especially the centrality of slavery—has allowed dangerous myths to persist. Today, as some seek to downplay the severity of January 6 or rewrite its history, Larson’s work serves as a stark reminder of what happens when lies and resentment drive a political movement.
Larson’s The Demon of Unrest is a masterful account of America’s descent into civil war, and its relevance to our current era is chilling. By exposing the myth of states’ rights and drawing clear parallels between secessionist leaders and the architects of the January 6 insurrection, Larson forces readers to confront the dangers of political extremism. His book is not just about the past—it is a warning about the present and the future. If history has taught us anything, it is that unchecked lies and political violence can quickly spiral into catastrophe. Whether America heeds that lesson remains to be seen.
