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These three political giants had remarkable similarities in their long careers and even more differences. All three served in the both houses of Congress and as Secretary of State. Calhoun served as Vice-President under two different Presidents. Clay and Webster were each Presidential candidates, something Calhoun aspired to. The three were occasionally on the same side, in their opposition to Andrew Jackson for example, but they were more frequently adversaries. A Kentuckian known as the "Great Compromiser", Clay supported the call for war in 1812, Missouri Compromise of 1820, the rechartering of the Bank of the United States, and the Compromise of 1850. He opposed nullification (the notion that a state could "nullify" a federal law within its boundaries), though generally he was an adversary of Andrew Jackson, especially on the bank issue. Webster, a New Englander, opposed the War of 1812, and nullification, but supported the compromise of 1850. His commitment to the Union frequently contorted his principles, sometimes being a strong opponent of slavery, other times supporting some of its components such as the Fugitive Slave law of 1850. Calhoun, the southerner, was a "War Hawk" like Clay in 1812, and battled his President Andrew Jackson on the issue of high tariffs and on nullification. He supported the annexation of Texas and opposed the compromise of 1850. He was a staunch defender of slavery to the end.
Brands weaves the lives of these three men into a captivating account of the story of their young nation, from Presidents Jefferson to Lincoln, focusing on the times when national unity was most fragile. It is at those times that the three members of the Great Triumvirate were at the center of the action, either advocating for one position or the other, or seeking to broker a compromise that would address that challenge or at least postpone them. Brands uses his subject's own words from their most memorable speeches, not only to illustrate where each man stood on the issue, but to demonstrate the corresponding arguments on each issue, and their complexities. In doing so, he also highlights the brilliant oratory that each was capable of, and the brilliance of each man in advocating the position he took.
Brands writes in his usual engaging style, clarifying complex issues, not confining them to just political battles, but also explaining what was going on in the nation at the time and what conditions shaped those issues. He makes the case that these debates, especially concerning the conflict between states rights and the national interest, form the basis of divisive issues that have continued throughout history and continue to this day. As Brands writes: "The struggle originated with the founders. It continued with their heirs. It is with us still."
This book delivers more than just an outline of the lives of three of the leading politicians of antebellum United States. It takes the pulse of the nation during that era, and explains the events and the conflicting beliefs and attitudes of those times that would ultimately lead to civil war.