Bleeding KansasBy: Ash Thenappan and Silken Habtout

How it ignited…

• On December 14, 1853 Augustus Dodge proposed a bill (Kansas – Nebraska Bill) that made Kansas a state and this bill was greatly supported by Stephen Douglas

• Kansas - Nebraska Act took a part of the Louisiana Territory and made 2 separate states of Kansas and Nebraska.

• The big question of slavery arose. Stephen Douglas said for it to be decided by popular sovereignty. This is when the big problem started.

• Popular Sovereignty means that the people living in the state had the right to decide whether it would be free state or slave state by voting

The Reaction from the North

• The Northerners were upset because this idea of popular sovereignty; it violated the Missouri Compromise

• The Missouri Compromise of 1820 said that slavery could not extend above the 36’ 30’’ line

• The primary source does an excellent job of displaying the view from the North about this event.

The Reaction from the South

• The Southerners were pleased that Douglas made this decision because it gave them a chance to make Kansas a slave state

• They took the North’s reaction as a sign of enmity towards slavery and this made them upset as well

• The primary source does an excellent job of displaying the view from the South about this event.

"Come on, then, gentlemen of the slave states. Since there is no escaping your challenge, we accept it in the name of freedom. We will engage in competition for the virgin soil of Kansas, and God give the victory to the side which is stronger in numbers, as it is in right." -- Senator William Seward

The “Rat Race”

• The effect of this bill was immediate.• It became a “rat race” to Kansas. • Eli Thayer head of the New England Emigrant Aid Company sent

several people to Kansas to get more votes to make Kansas a free state.

• An abolitionist preacher, Henry Ward Beecher armed similar minded settlers with rifles (Beecher’s Bibles)

• By 1855, about 1,200 New Englanders had inhabited Kansas• Hearing this, the South sent their own forces to sway the vote in

their favor. Most pro slavery communities were formed in Leavenworth and Atchison.

The Lecompton Constitution

• President Buchanan tried solve this increasing problem, so he called an election.

• The free state residents did not participate because they felt as if they were discriminated against.

• When voted upon, in some parts of Kansas there were more ballots than votes and lots of violence.

• The South won this battle, and slavery reigned in Kansas• The legislature was called the Lecompton Constitution. • The new state legislature included the slave codes for Kansas or the “Bogus

Laws” • After hearing about these laws, The northerners set up their own government

in Kansas which competed with the pro slavery government; President Pierce only recognized the latter.

And the Show goes on…

• A majority of the settlers didn’t want any violence at all, but violence erupted because a small group of people

• The Pro Slavery group was mainly led by radicals like David Atchison; he wanted to defend their stance “with the bayonet and with blood”

• Most Northerners were not abolitionists; most were supporters of the Free Soil movement. They did not really care for the slaves themselves.

• The Free Soil supporters believed in the idea that slavery should not expand

Bleeding Kansas

• In 1856, a three-man congressional looked into what was going on in Kansas and said that the elections didn’t represent the majority of Kansas, but the Federal Government ignored them, and only recognized the pro slavery state government.

The Violence Begins…

• There were many attacks mostly against free state supporters.

• They were tarred and feathered, kidnapped, and even killed.

• On November 21, 1855 the Wakarusa War began and Charles Dow, an anti slavery supporter, was killed.

• On May 21, 1856 federal marshal and some pro slavery men went to Lawrence (headquarters of free state supporters) and destroyed printing presses, homes, and stores

The Lawrence Attack

John Brown

• John Brown considered himself as an instrument of God’s will to destroy slavery

• He moved to Kansas with his sons to make it a free state• In response to the attack in Lawrence, John Brown and a

group of anti-slavery men (including his sons) kidnapped and hacked 5 pro-slavery men to death. This was known as the Pottawatomie massacre.

• This massacre caused more civil strife. Eventually, these settlers were more focused on the land claims than moral justice.

John Brown in Bleeding Kansas

Battle of Black Jack

• On June 2, 1856, John Brown and 29 anti slavery men attacked Henry Pate and about 30 pro slavery men near Baldwin City.

• 5 hours long• 22 of Pate’s men were taken prisoners • Brown’s sons were captured as well • Brown made an agreement to release Pate’s men as long as

he got his sons back• Some historians say this is the first true battle of the Civil

War

Battle of Hickory Point

• September 13, 1856, General James Lane heard that proslavery were wreaking havoc at a town called Grasshopper Falls, so he recruited some settlers.

• Shortly thereafter, he heard that the proslavery forces were at Hickory Point, so he went there instead.

• When he met them at Hickory Point, there were about 40 pro slavery men who were commanded by Captain H. A. Lowe.

• One Free State man was injured and about 5 or 6 proslavery men were killed.

Battle of Osawatomie

• On August 30, 1856, about 250 to 300 pro slavery men lead by John W. Reid attacked the city of Osawatomie.

• John Brown and about 40 free soil supporters attempted to defend the town.

• The town was looted and burned

Marais de Cygnes Massacre

• The last battle of Bleeding Kansas • May 19, 1858 about 30 pro slavery men led by Charles

Hamilton and kidnapped 11 free soil men (who didn’t participate in the violence)

• 5 of these men were killed

It gets worse…

• This violence spread very quickly not only in Kansas, but also in Congress in as well (beating of Charles Sumner).

• Overall about 55 people were killed in “Bleeding Kansas” • During the civil war Kansas suffered the highest rate of

fatal casualties of any union state.

The New Legislature

• When an election for a new territorial legislature was called, the antislavery group voted and won majority.

• This new legislature took over the Lecompton Constitution which was rejected by over 10,000 votes.

• President Buchanan tried to pass the Lecompton Constitution through the Federal government, but it was again voted against.

Finally…

• John Geary, the new governor, came to Kansas to restore order.

• There were many different constitutions drafted for Kansas• The one that was accepted was a free state constitution, but

it was not approved immediately because of the strong opposition from the South

• In 1861, when the Confederate states seceded, the constitution was approved and Kansas officially became a free state.