A Growing Sectional Struggle CICERO 2013 1 Bleeding Kansas
Slide 2
The Compromise of 1850 CICERO 2013 After the land acquisitions
of the Mexican-American War, Congress sought to maintain the
balance between the Northern free states and Southern slave states.
Ideas for compromise proposed by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky.
United States Senate
Slide 3
Terms of the Compromise of 1850: CICERO 2013 California
admitted to the Union as a free state Border of Texas settled New
territories in the Mexican Cession lands open to slavery based on
popular sovereignty Slave trade abolished in Washington, D.C.
Stricter Fugitive Slave Act put in place.
Slide 4
Senator Stephen A. Douglas CICERO 2013 Democrat Senator from
Illinois. Wanted a transcontinental railroad to go through Chicago.
For this to happen, the neighboring territories of Kansas and
Nebraska needed to be organized and settled. Proposed the
Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 to achieve this goal. Library of
Congress
Slide 5
Kansas-Nebraska Act, May 30, 1854 CICERO 2013 Created the
Kansas and Nebraska Territories. Repealed the Missouri Compromise
and the prohibition of slavery above the 3630 line. Slavery open to
these territories based on popular sovereignty. The residents would
decide whether to allow slavery or not. The National Archives
Slide 6
Northern and Southern Reaction CICERO 2013 The Kansas-Nebraska
Act was disputed from the start, but was approved by Congress.
Southern politicians supported the possibility of spreading slavery
to the new territories. In the Senate, only two Southerners voted
against the bill: Sam Houston (Texas) and John Bell (Tennessee)
Northerners were outraged at the expansion of slavery. Senator
Charles Sumner (Massachusetts) quickly became an outspoken opponent
of the act.
Slide 7
CICERO 2013 Sen. Charles SumnerSen. Sam HoustonSen. John Bell
Library of Congress
Slide 8
Border Ruffians vs. Jayhawkers CICERO 2013 Nebraska became a
free territory with little issue, but Kansas quickly became a
hotbed for trouble between supporters and opponents of slavery.
Both sides sought to rush settlers into Kansas to influence the
establishment of a territorial government and vote on slavery.
Proslavery border ruffians established settlements in places
including Leavenworth and Atchison. Antislavery Jayhawkers set up
in Manhattan, Lawrence, and Topeka.
Slide 9
Trouble in Kansas CICERO 2013 Leaders in the North and South
recruited and sometimes paid settlers to go to Kansas to influence
the vote. Some settlers brought their families, but many others
were well-armed single men. The popular abolitionist Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher sent men to Kansas with Beechers Bibles (rifles).
Library of Congress
Slide 10
March 30, 1855: Fraudulent Election CICERO 2013 In March 1855,
Kansas held an election to decide members of the territorial
legislature. Border ruffians from Missouri flooded into Kansas to
vote illegally. Although there were only 2,900 registered voters,
more than 6,000 votes were cast. Governor Andrew H. Reeder threw
out many of the election results, but the proslavery majority still
prevailed. Antislavery legislators resigned, condemning the
election as fraudulent.
Slide 11
Two Governments CICERO 2013 Antislavery settlers continued to
pour into Kansas. In the fall of 1855, antislavery leaders met in
Topeka to form their own constitution and government. There were
now two governments in Kansas, both seeking recognition while
outlawing the other. Library of Congress
Slide 12
Who does President Pierce Support? CICERO 2013 In every case it
is the people of the Territory, not a party among them, who have
the power to form a constitution and ask for admission as a State.
No principle of public law, no practice or precedent under the
Constitution of the United States, no rule of reason, right, or
common sense, confers any such power as that now claimed by a mere
party in the Territory. In fact what has been done is of
revolutionary character. - Message to Congress, January 24, 1856
Franklin Pierce supported the proslavery government, despite an
increasing antislavery majority in Kansas. He even sent federal
troops into Kansas to try to break up the antislavery government.
Library of Congress
Slide 13
Sack of Lawrence CICERO 2013 Up to this point, violence between
the two groups had been minimal. May 21, 1856 a proslavery posse of
about 800 men attacked the free-state settlement at Lawrence. The
attackers ransacked, looted, and burned buildings, including the
Free State Hotel and printing presses. No free-staters were killed
in the attack, but one proslavery attacker was killed by a
collapsing building. The Northern press instantly made a rallying
cry of the sack of Lawrence and Lawrence in ruins.
Slide 14
Violence in Kansas Moves to Congress CICERO 2013 Violence
continued between proslavery and free-state forces in Kansas. The
situation became a divisive issue in Congress. May 19-20, 1856
Senator Charles Sumner delivered his speech The Crime Against
Kansas. In the speech, Sumner criticized the Kansas-Nebraska Act,
as well as Democratic Senators Stephen Douglas (Illinois) and
Andrew Butler (South Carolina). On May 22, Representative Preston
Brooks, a relative of Butler, severely beat Sumner with a cane on
the Senate floor. The caning of Senator Sumner further divided
northerners and southerners.
Slide 15
Arguments of the Chivalry CICERO 2013 Library of Congress
Slide 16
John Browns Response CICERO 2013 The fanatical abolitionist
responded to proslavery attacks with violence of his own. May
24-25: Pottawatomie Massacre In the middle of the night, Brown,
leading a group of men, dragged 5 proslavery settlers out of their
homes and killed them with swords. The National Archives
Slide 17
Attempts to Restore Order CICERO 2013 For the next few months,
small armies clashed throughout Kansas. September 1856 John W.
Geary appointed territorial governor. Geary used federal troops and
promises of a fair government to ease tensions in Kansas. Still
intermittent violence into the Civil War. Geary was later a general
in the Civil War Library of Congress
Slide 18
The Lecompton Constitution CICERO 2013 1857 Kansas was ready to
apply for statehood. In the fall, a proslavery dominated
constitutional convention met in Lecompton to draft a constitution.
The convention issued two constitutions for the people to vote on:
one allowing slavery, and one allowing current slaves to remain but
banning the importation of new slaves. Free-staters, a majority in
Kansas, refused to vote, and the constitution passed with
slavery.
Slide 19
Fight over the Lecompton Constitution CICERO 2013 Two weeks
later, the free-staters in the territorial legislature called for a
vote of approval over the new constitution. Proslavery forces
refused to vote, and the antislavery majority rejected the
Lecompton Constitution. February 1858 President James Buchanan
supported the admission of Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution.
The Senate voted to recognize the proslavery constitution.
Opposition in the House, led by Senator Douglas, defeated the
constitution. A final vote in Kansas overwhelmingly rejected the
Lecompton Constitution.
Slide 20
Douglas Split with the Democrats CICERO 2013 Senator Douglas
did not believe the Lecompton Constitution reflected the will of
the Kansans. He encouraged opposition in the House of
Representatives to reject the proslavery Kansas government. Library
of Congress
Slide 21
The Wyandotte Constitution CICERO 2013 July 5-29, 1859 Another
constitutional convention met in Wyandotte. Both Republicans and
Democrats participated in the convention. The Wyandotte
Constitution made Kansas a free state. October 4, 1859 Kansans
voted 2:1 to approve the constitution. They then established their
state government, with Republicans taking most of the offices.
Slide 22
Kansas Joins the Union CICERO 2013 The admission of Kansas
passed in the House, but Southern Senators delayed voting. When the
southern states seceded, opposition to the admission of Kansas
diminished. January 29, 1861 Both houses approved the admission,
and Kansas entered the Union as a free state. Library of
Congress
Slide 23
Legacy of Bleeding Kansas CICERO 2013 John Brown moved his
antislavery crusade to Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The violence in
Kansas was a reflection of the growing sectional crisis dividing
the nation and putting the states on the path to violence. Library
of Congress The National Archives