In the mid-1850s, a vivid rumor circulated that Georgia senator Robert Toombs would come to Boston to “call the roll of his slaves” at Bunker Hill, capturing the charged political climate of the time. The Atlantic was established in this environment of uncertainty, committed to literature, art, and politics but influenced heavily by the looming crisis over slavery.
By the end of 1857, the magazine’s early issues reflected deep concerns about the “Slave Power conspiracy,” the idea that southern elites were attempting to expand slavery nationwide. Edmund Quincy’s essay “Where Will It End?” in The Atlantic addressed the growing entrenchment of slavery, noting that what was previously considered unthinkable had become normalized, with societal acceptance of violence and intimidation over rational discourse.
Quincy lamented the decline of the Republic under this “coarse and sordid oligarchy,” observing that the impacts of slavery extended beyond politics to culture, with censorship in literature and restrictions on antislavery publications. However, he expressed hope that this movement would not be eternal and noted growing opposition to the “Slave Power.” He believed the emergence of the Republican Party represented a significant threat to the institution of slavery, predicting its eventual end, although he did not foresee the violent conflict that would ultimately ensue, leaving the question of “Where will it end?” unresolved.
