Bleeding Kansas

1
Bleeding Kansas
2
The Compromise is Short Lived

• By 1854 the Compromise of 1850 is effectively
  dead
• The concept of popular sovereignty will come to
  dominate discussion
• The Fugitive Slave Act is very unpopular in the
  North
• The regional reactions to the slave act further
  divide the sections

3
Fugitive Slave Act

• No jury trial, a sworn statement was all that was
  needed
• 10 reward for federal officials who returned a
  slave 5 reward for finding him a free man
• 1000 fine or 6 months in prison for aiding a
  runaway

4
Reactions to the F.S.A.

• 9 northern states had personal liberty laws
• No imprisonment of slave and jury trials
• Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman
• Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)

5
Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Territories of Nebraska and Kansas would be
  organized with popular sovereignty
• Effectively kills both the Compromise of 1850 and
  the Missouri Compromise

Passed May 30, 1854
6
Bleeding Kansas

• Pro- and anti-slavery groups entered Kansas in
  attempts to influence the upcoming election
• 1200 New Englanders entered
• Some armed with Beecher Bibles rifles provided
  by Henry Ward Beecher

• In November 1854, thousands of armed
  Southerners, mostly from Missouri, poured over
  the line to vote for a proslavery congressional
  delegate.
• Only half the ballots were cast by registered
  voters,
• The proslavery forces won the election.

7
Reign of the Border Ruffians

• Proslavery forces also won the next election for
  territorial legislature
• Legislature passed many proslavery laws and
  imported the Missouri slave code
• A Free Soil legislature was set up in Topeka
• Voted 1287-453 to ban all blacks, free or slave,
  from Kansas

8
Congress Investigates

• Congressional committee decided the last election
  was fraudulent and that the Free Soil group were
  the majority
• US government continued to recognize the
  Pro-slavery government

9
Brooks and Sumner

• Preston Brooks (D-SC)

Charles Sumner (R-Ma)
VS.

• Sumner insulted Sen. Andrew Butler (D-SC),
  Brooks uncle, in a speech later known as Crimes
  Against Kansas
• Brooks considered challenging him to a duel but
  decided Sumner was not worthy
• So Brooks beat him over the head with a cane 30
  times
• Brooks resigns but is later reelected, dies in
  1857

10
Lawrence and Pottawatomie

• May 21, 1856, a group of proslavery men entered
  Lawrence, where they burned the Free State Hotel,
  destroyed two printing presses, and ransacked
  homes and stores.
• In retaliation, the fiery abolitionist John Brown
  led a group of men on an attack at Pottawatomie
  Creek, five proslavery men from their homes and
  hacked them to death.

11
The End of Violence

• In September of 1856, a new territorial governor,
  John W. Geary, arrived in Kansas and began to
  restore order.
• The last major outbreak of violence was the
  Marais des Cynges massacre, in which Border
  Ruffians killed five Free State men.
• In all, estimates range between 55 and 200 deaths

12
Lecompton Constitution

• 1857
• Pro-Slavery Government puts forth 2 proslavery
  constitutions
• Boycotted by Free-Soil supporters the
  Constitution went to Congress
• President Buchanan supported the constitution
• Douglas fought the constitution and convinced
  Congress to order another election and delay
  statehood

13
Wyandotte Constitution

• 1859
• Wyandotte Constitution prohibits slavery
• Constitution Approved in 1859 by a vote of
  10,421 to 5,530
• Southern Senators rejected the document
• Kansas only became a state in1861