The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner

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The Caning of SenatorCharles Sumner
Presentation created by Robert Martinez
Primary Content Source
Story of US
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• On May 22, 1856, the floor of the U.S. Senate
  became a combat zone.

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• In one of the most dramatic moments in the
  Senates entire history, a member of the House of
  Representatives entered the Senate Chamber and
  savagely beat a senator into unconsciousness.

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• This incident began three days earlier when
  Senator Charles Sumner, a Massachusetts
  antislavery Republican, addressed the Senate on
  the explosive issue of whether Kansas should be
  admitted to the Union as a slave or free state.

Charles Sumner
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• In his Crime against Kansas speech, Sumner
  negatively called out two Democratic senators,
  Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Andrew Butler of
  South Carolina.

Douglas
Butler
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• To his face, Sumner called Douglas a noise-some,
  squat, and nameless animalnot a proper model for
  an American senator.

Senator Stephen Douglas
Senator Charles Sumner
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• Mocking Senator Andrew Butler as a man of
  chivalry, the Massachusetts senator charged him
  with taking a mistresswho, though ugly to
  others, is always lovely to him though polluted
  in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight
  I mean, added Sumner, the harlot, Slavery.

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• Congressman Preston Brooks was Butlers South
  Carolina relative. If he had believed Sumner to
  be a gentlemen, he might have challenged him to a
  duel. Instead, he chose a light cane used to
  discipline unruly dogs.

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• Shortly after the Senate had adjourned for the
  day, Brooks entered the old chamber, where he
  found Sumner busy stamping copies of his Crime
  against Kansas speech.

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• Moving quickly, Brooks slammed his metal-topped
  cane onto the unsuspecting Sumners head. As
  Brooks struck again and again, Sumner rose and
  lurched blindly about the chamber, futilely
  attempting to protect himself.

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• After a very long minute, the violence ended.
  Bleeding profusely, Senator Sumner was carried
  away.

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• Congressman Brooks walked calmly out of the
  chamber without being detained by the stunned
  onlookers. Overnight, both men became heroes in
  their respective regions.

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• Facing a Congressional censure resolution, Brooks
  resigned, was immediately reelected, and soon
  thereafter died at the age of 37.

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• Sumner recovered slowly and returned to the
  Senate, where he remained for another 18 years.

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• If men of reason could not manage themselves in a
  civilized manner in our nations capitol, what
  tragedy lay ahead for the Untied States.