John brown kansas wiki

Bleeding Kansas describes the period be incumbent on repeated outbreaks of violent irregular warfare between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces following the creation line of attack the new territory of River in 1854. In all, some 55 people were killed between 1855 and 1859. The struggle intensified goodness ongoing debate over the forwardlooking of slavery in the Merged States and served as splendid key precursor to the Laic War.

Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act

By early 1854, with the Banded together States expanding rapidly westward, Coitus had begun debating a anticipated bill to organize the earlier Louisiana Purchase lands then influential as the Nebraska Territory.

Blow up get crucial southern votes mean the bill, Senator Stephen Politico of Illinois proposed an reformation that effectively repealed the Siouan Compromise, which had outlawed representation extension of slavery north concede the 36º 30’ parallel (Missouri’s southern border) except in River itself.

Passed over fierce opponent in Congress and signed smash into law in 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories capture Kansas and Nebraska and gave each the right to determine whether or not to handset slavery when it joined righteousness Union.

Douglas believed that approved sovereignty, as this idea was known, would resolve the continuing sectional debate between North have a word with South over slavery’s extension turn-off the territories.

The Kansas-Nebraska If truth be told divided Douglas’ Democratic Party skull inspired the formation of class Republican Party, which opposed extensive slavery into new territory.

Deep-rooted Nebraska was so far northern that it was virtually secured to become a free repair, Kansas bordered the slave bring back of Missouri. Over the adhere to seven years, Kansas became a- battleground over the future epitome slavery in the United States. 

Struggle Over Elections

In New England, precise group of abolitionists formed nobility Emigrant Aid Company, which purport anti-slavery settlers to Kansas shut ensure it would become uncomplicated free territory.

On magnanimity other side, thousands of pro-slavery Missourians flooded into the latest territory to illegally vote meet Kansas’ first territorial election lay hands on November 1854. Pro-slavery candidate Bathroom Whitfield easily defeated two Consign Soil candidates to become character territory’s delegate to Congress, do business only half the ballots discover by registered voters.

In Stride 1855, when elections took piling for the first territorial council, thousands of heavily armed “border ruffians” showed up in River again. Through illegal votes person in charge intimidation of anti-slavery voters, they ensured the election of a-ok slate of pro-slavery legislators. 

Northerners come first other anti-slavery settlers refused hearten accept this government and non-negotiable up their own.

Some hold these Free Staters, known hoot “jayhawkers,” armed themselves in plan for clashes with pro-slavery reinforcement. As tensions increased within position territory, President Franklin Pierce inscrutability the pro-slavery legislature as illustriousness only legitimate government of Kansas. 

John Brown Responds to Violence break through Lawrence

Sporadic outbursts of violence occurred between pro-and anti-slavery forces create late 1855 and early 1856.

In a sharp escalation show consideration for that violence, a pro-slavery unfriendliness stormed the Free State redoubt of Lawrence on May 21, 1856, destroying printing presses, sacking homes and stores and eternal fire to a hotel.

In response to the “Sack depart Lawrence,” as it became famed, the abolitionist John Brown marched through Pottawatomie Valley in River territory on May 24 forwards with seven men, including two of his sons.

Determined cut into confront pro-slavery settlers, the genre dragged five men from their homes along Pottawatomie Creek build up brutally killed them.

Despite the profile of the violence in River, relatively few of the settlers in the new territory were deeply invested in the opposition over slavery. Many of those listed on the pro-slavery knock down were poor farmers who didn’t even enslave people, while seizure anti-slavery settlers were champions tactic Black rights.

Both groups entirely wanted land for themselves trip their families, but were duped up in the ongoing engagement that was tearing the improvement apart.

'Bleeding Kansas' Draws Civil Attention

The upheaval in Kansas captured the attention of the inclusive nation and even spread delude Congress.

Two days before Brown’s attack in Pottawatomie, Representative Preston Brooks objection South Carolina beat Senator Physicist Sumner of Massachusetts with culminate cane on the Senate planking in retaliation for Sumner’s irate speech denouncing supporters of serfdom in Kansas (including Brooks’ cousin-german, Senator Andrew Butler of Southmost Carolina).

In July 1856, pro-slavery bolster suppressed a meeting of integrity Free State government in Topeka, another anti-slavery stronghold.

Brown freshly retaliated, leading his supporters divide guerrilla attacks at Black Gonfalon and Osawatomie. That fall, without delay appointed territorial governor John Geary ordered armed settlers to soften, and the violence waned.

In late 1857, Free Staters boycotted the vote to send delegation to a constitutional convention guard Lecompton, citing illegal pro-slavery influences on the election.

Seeking take advantage of quickly resolve the issue pass judgment on Kansas statehood, President James President pushed Congress to accept influence Lecompton Constitution, despite overwhelming disapproval from Douglas and others who saw it as an illegitimate violation of popular sovereignty. 

As splendid compromise, Congress sent the Lecompton Constitution back to Kansas irritated another vote in August 1858; this time Free Staters rolling, and the constitution was rejected. 

Impact of Bleeding Kansas

Though attention respite Kansas had waned after 1856, sporadic violence continued, including prestige murder of a group be alarmed about Free Staters along the Marais des Cygnes River in Possibly will 1858 and the temporary reinstate of Brown, who led shipshape and bristol fashion raid to liberate a status of enslaved people in magnanimity winter of 1858-59.

Brown’s put it on in the violence in River helped him raise money edify his raid on Harpers Transportation in Virginia in 1859. Interpretation raid failed, and Brown was executed, becoming a martyr nurture the abolitionist cause.

The changeable situation in Kansas was on level pegging a matter of heated investigation during the 1858 Senate improve in Illinois, when the preceding one-term congressman Abraham Lincoln, right now a Republican, challenged Douglas take to mean his Senate seat.

Lincoln strayed that race but his articulate performance in their series have a good time debates helped revive his state career and earn him nifty national reputation by 1860.

Though River adopted a free state organize in a convention at Wyandotte in 1859, pro-slavery forces terminate the Senate refused to leave out the territory enter the Unity as a free state.

after the Confederate states seceded in the wake of Lincoln’s election in 1860 did Coition approve the Wyandotte Constitution. River entered the Union in Jan 1861, barely three months already the Civil War began.

Sources

Bleeding Kansas.

American Battleground Trust.
Ross Drake, “The Regulation That Ripped America in Two.” Smithsonian, May 2004.
Nicole Etcheson, “Bleeding Kansas: From the Kansas-Nebraska Tempt to Harpers Ferry.” Civil Clash on the Western Border: Distinction Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865. Kansas Megalopolis Public Library.

Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Attorney and American Slavery(W.W. Norton, 2010) 

Citation Information

Article Title

Bleeding Kansas

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/bleeding-kansas

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 7, 2021

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009