Skip to main content
Heart Donate
Heart Donate
Search

Support WBUR

George Boutwell, the radical abolitionist Republican you've likely never heard of

06:53
The cover of "Boutwell" and author Jeffrey Boutwell. (Courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company and Sarah Boutwell)
The cover of "Boutwell" and author Jeffrey Boutwell. (Courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company and Sarah Boutwell)

George Boutwell was a 19th-century Massachusetts governor, senator and an early abolitionist founder of the Republican party.

Jeffrey Boutwell, a distant relative, tells his story in the new book “Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy." Boutwell speaks with Tiziana Dearing about the book and its relevance to today's political climate.

Book excerpt: 'Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy'

By Jeffrey Boutwell

Excerpted from "Boutwell" by Jeffrey Boutwell. Copyright © 2025 by Jeffrey Boutwell. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

This segment aired on March 14, 2025.

Here & Now: Editors' PicksBook Excerpt

Support WBUR

Support WBUR

Listen Live
Loading...