Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 19 (of 20)

This volume gathers a remarkable series of addresses and correspondence from one of the era’s most outspoken senators. Listeners will hear his impassioned defense of equal schooling for Black children in the nation’s capital, his condemnations of the Ku‑Klan, and his steadfast belief that what is right in principle must also be practical. The speeches are delivered with the measured cadence of a courtroom advocate, turning abstract justice into vivid, immediate arguments.

The collection also reaches beyond domestic issues. Sumner’s letters on Italian unification, his reflections on Haiti’s honor, and his remarks on the French Republic reveal a statesman attuned to global currents. Interwoven are his thoughts on the Senate’s powers, the enforcement of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the moral responsibilities of a post‑war nation. Together, these pieces offer listeners a window into the passionate debates that shaped Reconstruction and the broader fight for liberty.