Below are two books that, at least for me, helped illustrate how so many of today’s problems have a long historical legacy.
American Creation by Joseph Ellis focuses on how decisions made in the transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Federal Republic helped shape racial issues today.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196717.American_Creation
Jumping forward almost 50 years, Paul Starobin’s book “Madness Rules the Hour” looks at how the unresolved issue of slavery (a major focus of the Ellis book) dominates social and political life in 1860 Charleston. Although it doesn’t have the scope and depth of the Ellis book, it is a fascinating glimpse into what, perhaps inevitably, pushed Charleston into the very forefront of secession.
https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167494
Both books are available at the DI Library