Booknotes: The Political Transformation of David Tod

New Arrival:

• The Political Transformation of David Tod: Governing Ohio during the Height of the Civil War by Joseph Lambert, Jr. (Kent St UP, 2023).

From the description: "Before his election to the state’s executive office in 1861, David Tod was widely regarded as Ohio’s most popular Democrat. Tod rose to prominence in the old Western Reserve, rejecting the political influence of his well-known father, a former associate justice of Ohio’s Supreme Court, a previous member of the Federalist Party, and a new, devoted Whig. As a fierce Democratic Party lion, the younger Tod thrilled followers with his fearless political attacks on Whig adversaries and was considered an unlikely figure in the battle to keep the Union intact."

Nevertheless, in replacing incumbent Republican governor William Dennison early on and laboring tirelessly to further prepare his state and its citizens for a long war, Tod proved those doubters wrong. Indeed, Tod's devotion to winning the war was second to none among the West's governors.

More from the description: "Placing the restoration of the Union above all else, Tod eagerly shed his partisan identity to take up the Union cause. As governor, he quickly pledged Ohio’s support to the nation’s leader, President Abraham Lincoln. Tod rallied Ohioans to support the war and equipped scores of physicians and nurses with medical supplies to tend to Ohio’s wounded soldiers. He also had to protect the state’s borders from invasion by developing defenses at home."

In spite of all that, Tod's strong leadership in prosecuting the war during its middle period (his governorship spanned Jan. 1862 to Jan. 1864), during which he also earned the nickname "the soldier's friend," ultimately proved precarious in the face of fickle allies and voters. By the standards of the war's second-half antislavery turn, Tod wasn't deemed radical enough.

More: "Despite his patriotic service, partisan politics and political intrigue denied Tod a second term. Joseph Lambert's The Political Transformation of David Tod "chronicles Tod’s unwavering support for the Union and describes the importance of a politician’s loyalty to country over partisanship." The book is a cradle to grave biography that includes extensive coverage of Tod's life, business pursuits, and political career before and after his wartime governorship.