Abby Kelley Foster arrived in Springfield, Illinois, with the fate of the nation on her mind. The famed abolitionist speaker knew that her first speech in the city would make headlines. One of the residents reading those headlines would be none other than the likely next president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln knew his chances of winning were good. But when her speech sparks violence, leading to her arrest and a high-profile trial, he suspects that his political rivals have conspired against him. President James Buchanan is one such rival. As his term ends and his political power crumbles, he makes one last move that might derail Lincoln’s campaign, steal the election and throw America into chaos.