Frank Julianello: Throughout the entire history of the United States slavery had always been a major issue. There has always been debate in Congress and among the public. Even as the United States grew, the new territories could not escape the debate over whether they should permit slavery once they became a state. The battle over slavery was not fought any more fiercely than in the territory of Kansas. The pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in Kansas came into such conflict that there was even bloodshed and murder over the admittance of Kansas as a free state or a slave state, hence "Bleeding Kansas".

As we will see, violence was not limited to just Kansas but even crept into the United States Senate. The first piece of legislation that was passed to settle the question of slavery in the territories was the Missouri Compromise in 1820. It said that all territories above the southern most boundary of Missouri were to be closed to slavery with the exception of Missouri. The Compromise worked until the United States acquired lands from Mexico. Now the California became an issue in 1850 since the Missouri Compromise line ran right through the middle of California. Another compromise was established which brought popular sovereignty into effect. The Compromise of 1850 allowed for popular sovereignty in California, which admitted itself as a free state; it settled the dispute over [the boundary of] Texas, a slave state; and outlawed slavery in the District of Columbia, a hotly debated issue.

The Compromise of 1850 left the Missouri Compromise in dispute. Southerners said that the line established in the Missouri Compromise was not valid anymore and wanted popular sovereignty as the rule in all territories. This was especially true for the large Nebraska territory, which stretched from the northern border of Oklahoma all the way to Canada. This did not make Northerners very happy who wanted the Missouri Compromise line to stay in place. This led to the Nebraska Kansas bill. The Nebraska-Kansas Act established the territory of Kansas, which stretched from the northern border of Oklahoma almost all the way to the northern border of Missouri and as far west as the Rocky Mountains. Kansas would be admitted into the Union either a slave state of a free state. This would determined by popular sovereignty. It also said that the remaining Nebraska territory was be closed to slavery and that more than one state could be made out of the Nebraska territory. This is what set the stage for the political and violent battles to be fought in Kansas.

There are two sides in the story of Kansas. The free soilers, who were led by Eli Thayer and his Emigrant Aid Society, and the "ruffians", who were in favor of slavery and led by Senator Atchison of Missouri. Southerners saw the Society as a plot to steal Kansas and have it admitted as a free state. The "ruffians," most of whom were from Missouri themselves, believed that it was their duty to stop this from happening and allow Southerners to settle Kansas with their slaves. The plan of the "ruffians" was to cross the border of Missouri and Kansas and vote on legislation and representatives as well as for admitting Kansas as a slave state. Obviously illegal and unfair, this caused a lot of problems even from the first vote for a territorial delegate to Congress. Of the 2871 votes caste, it was determined that 1729 (or 60%) were illegal votes. A second election was held, this time to establish a territorial legislature. It was determined that for this election there was 2905 eligible Kansas voters. After the election took place 6307 votes were cast, incorporating a pro-slavery legislature. This means that, as least 3402 were caste illegally by Missourians.

The first thing that this legislature did was to make any anti-slavery sentiments a felony. Because of this the free soilers decided to declare any actions of the legislature invalid. They also held their own elections to establish their own legislature and set up the city of Lawrence as their capitol. In October of 1855 each side held their own election for a congressional delegate. Each side boycotted the other's election and refused to recognize the results of the other's election. So as of March 1856 there were two territorial governments in Kansas, neither of which would recognize the other or their laws. The first act of violence, or threat of violence, came on October 6, 1856. A large band of "ruffians" made their way to Lawrence and threatened that everyone pack up and leave or they would forced to leave. To the surprise and dismay of the "ruffians" the people of Lawrence refused. The "ruffians" vowed to return in a week with an even larger force but never came through on their promise. The "ruffians" also used their control of the Missouri River to their advantage by blockading all free soiler movement into Kansas from the water. The actions of the "ruffians" caused those who didn't have slaves to side with the free soilers and support Lawrence, even though many true Kansas residents didn't care much about the issue of slavery. They also took up arms with the free soilers who received guns and ammunition from Boston through John Brown. These arms came in boxes marked books since the "ruffians" had no use for books and would not check the boxes.

In Lawrence there were established newspapers, which produced large amounts of anti-slavery writings. Two of these were The Herald of Freedom and The Kansas Free State. There was also a building known as the Free State Hotel, which was basically set up for the purpose of defense against "ruffian" attacks. Eventually the "ruffians" entered the city armed with warrants and the support of Atchison. They cleared the city of all free soilers, allowing them to leave without conflict, and proceeded to destroy the Free State Hotel, the The Herald of Freedom, and The Kansas Free State printing presses. The free soilers gained a lot of support after the "sack" of Lawrence in other parts of the country and in Congress.

There was actual bloodshed during all this mayhem. The first incident of which was conducted by John Brown and his sons. Brown executed five pro-slavery settlers in retaliation for the "sack" of Lawrence. These murders took place during two separate attacks, one on the Doyle house and one on the house of William Sherman. These attacks started a rash of warfare with each side raiding settlements of the other. They would steal livestock and supplies and occasionally kill members of the other cause.

Shortly after the legal a legal battle was waged in the Senate. The free soilers had the support of Senator Sumner of Massachusetts and pro-slavery[side] had the support of Senator Butler of South Carolina. During the debates Senator Sumner made a speech where he verbally bashed Butler. The next day Congressman Preston Brooks physically attacked Sumner on the Senate floor before they came to session. Brooks repeatedly beat Sumner with his cane, initially striking him in the back of the head. Brooks also invoked the aid of another southern Congressman who made sure no one was able to come to the aid of Sumner. This did not go over well with many of the Senators and brought even more support to the free soiler cause.

In 1857 President James Buchanan called for the election of one territorial legislature. Several votes were taken but none met the requirements of the President. Finally after a count of eligible voters was taken a final election was held, one which the free soilers boycotted. Because of this the pro-slavery cause won the election with the approval of Buchanan. The newly elected Legislature quickly came up with the LeCompton Constitution, which would make Kansas a slave state. However, Buchanan allowed for a vote by the settlers of Kansas on the LeCompton Constitution. The pro-slavery cause was not about to allow the Constitution to be rejected. The fact that the LeCompton Constitution had a chance to pass in Kansas angered many Republicans. Buchanan's provision for the vote on the Constitution passed in the Senate but not in the House. The House wanted Kansas to resubmit their constitution. Finally the English Bill was passed, which said that if Kansas adopted the LeCompton Constitution, with slavery intact, they would receive 5,500,000 acres of land where they could set up public schools and other public offices. If they rejected it they could not reapply for statehood until the population of Kansas reached 93,500 people. Before voting on this issue would take place one last act of violence took place, the Marais Des Cynes Massacre. In May of 1858 pro-slavery supporters attacked and murdered anti-slavery supporters. When the voting took place that August the LeCompton Constitution was rejected by a six to one margin. It was clear now that Kansas would eventually become a free state.

Ben Caisse: - "The great anomaly of 'Bleeding Kansas' is that the slavery issue reached a condition of intolerable tension and violence . . . in an area where a majority of the inhabitants apparently did not care very much one way or the other about slavery."
- Kansas-Nebraska bill- set off, as Seward proclaimed, a race for Kansas, which turned that territory into a battleground. Its passage may well have made the Civil War inevitable.
- In 1820 the Missouri Compromise provided that all territories north of the southern boundary of Missouri, with the exception of Missouri itself, were to be closed to slavery. The goal was to create an automatic mechanism for determining whether a given territory would be free or slave so that the issue would no longer arise in Congress. The Compromise worked as intended for a quarter of a century. Territories were admitted to statehood two by two so that the number of slave and free states remained equal. The War with Mexico, along with the agreement with Great Britain over Oregon, brought the issue once again to the fore.
- Compromise line no longer neatly bisected the western territories.
- Popular Sovereignty. This doctrine held that the citizens of the territory would decide for themselves whether or not to admit slavery. Officially, they would make this choice when applying for statehood.
- Popular sovereignty was no longer a formula for avoiding the issue of slavery in the territories; instead it operated in exactly the opposite fashion. The race for Kansas was on.
- 60% of the first Congressional vote was found to be illegal
- There were, as of that March, two territorial governments. One, recognized by the Pierce Administration, had stolen the March 1855 election and then had made the mere advocacy of anti-slavery a felony. The other had summoned itself into existence. It had not stolen the elections it sponsored. But proslavery settlers had boycotted them. So neither side could truthfully claim to represent the will of the people. Popular sovereignty meant nothing under such circumstances.
- Neither Free Soilers nor their opponents were able to establish effective control over the territory. There were minor skirmishes, a great deal of threatening, innumerable disputes and arguments, but no real government.
- In May of 1858 the last of the great Kansas bloodletting's, the Marais Des Cynes Massacre, occured.

North
-The Missouri Compromise admitted California as a free state and outlawed slavery in the District of Columbia. It also left the slavery issue for future states up to its inhabitants who would vote at the time of statehood
- "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, on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, May 1854
- Northerners charged that Douglas had sold them out. He himself joked that he could have traveled the entire route between the District of Columbia and his home in Illinois by the light of his own burning effigies.
- In 1854, Abraham Lincoln said, "But, however this may be, we know the opening of new countries to slavery, tends to the perpetuation of the institution, and so does KEEP men in slavery who otherwise would be free. This result we do not FEEL like favoring, and we are under no legal obligation to suppress our feelings in this respect.
- The North could not allow Kansas to become a slave state because if they did then they would be aiding the perpetuation of slavery.
- "Armed moreover, to the teeth with rifles and revolvers, cutlasses and bowie knives, -- such were the men I saw around me...attack was being planned that night, and such, they declared, should be the end of every place which was built by free state men"
- Free soil partisans decided to declare the actions of the legislature invalid, to hold their own election, and to create their own territorial government with its own capitol, Lawrence.
- A convention at Big Springs, on September 5, declared the Legislature elected in March was illegitimate and "that its laws had no validity or binding force; and that every freeman was at liberty, consistently with his obligations as a citizen and a man, to defy and resist them."
- The Kansas Nebraska Act passed
- Abolitionists in Kansas ordered rifles from the East and shipped them over disguised as books.
- John Brown, an abolitionist with his sons smuggled the weapons.
- David Potter wisely observed that there were two wars for Kansas. The one on the ground was far less important than that for northern public opinion.
- The "sack" of Lawrence was a free soil triumph in this second war in the North.
- They would retaliate by way of John Brown

- The South became enraged as a result of a speech delivered by Senator Sumner which was very derogatory
- As a result, he was attacked in the capital and beaten unconscious with a cane by Congressman Brooks
- northern Democrats saw the assault as barbaric, although some pointed out that Sumner's speech went well beyond the usual limits of debate
- Less publicized was John Brown's massacre of five pro-slavery settlers in retaliation for the "sack" of Lawrence.
- John Brown drew his revolver and shot old man Doyle in the forehead, killing him instantly; and Brown's two youngest sons immediately fell upon the younger Doyles with their short two-edged swords.
- Brown was trying to eliminate all pro-slavery people from Kansas South

- Southerners, led by John C. Calhoun, claimed that any restriction on the rights of Southerners to bring their slave property into any portion of the territories, including the Missouri Compromise, was unconstitutional.
- Calhoun's Southern Address said:

"We allude to the conflict between the two great sections of the Union, growing out of a difference of feeling and opinion in reference to the relation existing between the two races, the European and the African, which inhabit the southern section, and the acts of aggression and encroachment to which it has led...The conflict commenced not long after the acknowledgment of our independence, and has gradually increased until it has arrayed the great body of the North against the South on this most vital subject. In the progress of this conflict, aggression has followed aggression, and encroachment encroachment, until they have reached a point when a regard for your peace and safety will not permit us to remain longer silent".

- Southerners took the Northern reaction to Douglas' popular sovereignty as proof of their increasing enmity to slavery.
- The race for Kansas was on. Senator Atchison himself, led the southern forces, most from his own state of Missouri. These "ruffians," as even they came to call themselves, were not settlers for the most part. They came in armed groups, set up camp, voted pro-slavery and returned home.
- The Memoirs of Wilson, a border Ruffian, accounts his experience with the violence that took place in Missouri
- "I may say at once that, though we did a deal of marching and counter-marching, and though on several occasions a general engagement between the opposing forces seemed imminent, it never came to a pitched battle; and all the many lives that were lost in this miserable border fighting, were lost in small affairs between scouting parties and outposts".
- a systematic invasion, from an adjoining state, by which large numbers of illegal votes were cast in remote and sparse settlements for the purpose of extending slavery into the territory, even though it did not change the result of the election, was a crime of great magnitude. Its immediate effect was to further excite the people of the northern states, induce acts of retaliation, and exasperate the actual settlers against their neighbors in Missouri.
- The day of the second election the South came in force. "The evening before, and the morning of the day of the election, about one thousand men arrived at Lawrence, and camped in a ravine a short distance from the town, and near the place of voting. They came, in wagons (of which there were over one hundred) or on horseback, under the command of Colonel Samuel Young, of Boone county, Missouri, and Claiborne F. Jackson, of Missouri. They were armed with guns, rifles, pistols and bowie knives; and had tents, music and flags with them. They brought with them two pieces of artillery, loaded with musket balls".
- The pro-slavery forces triumphed as 6,307 men voted, a substantial majority of them Missourians. Even if all 2,905 eligible voters had cast ballots, an unrealistic assumption, at least 3,402 Missourians voted illegally. If the first election was "a crime of great magnitude," the second was more grievous still.
- When the Kansas bill passed the people of the South expected to take possession of the territory. They urged those on the border to "move right over," and take their slaves with them. They said "two thousand slaves settled in Kansas would make it a slave state." But the southern people did not have the "courage of their convictions." They did not dare take their slaves over. There never were but a handful of slaves in Kansas, and these were on the border where they could be easily withdrawn.
- On the 6th of October a large body of armed men, in wagons and on horseback, with grotesque banners and other strange devices, came from Westport to Lawrence, to disperse the settlers at that place. They demanded that the abolitionists should take away their tents and be off at short notice, or otherwise they would be ''wiped out." The immigrants refused to obey this mandate, but prepared themselves in martial array, to protect their property and lives. This was entirely unexpected on the part of the invaders. They never imagined the possibility of the abolitionists showing fight.
- Southern bands of men would detain abolitionists along the Missouri River and disarm them.
- Senator Sumner severely insulted the South in a speech
- Sumner's unmeasured abuse angered many Southerners, none more than Congressman Preston Brooks. The next day, May 22, the day after the "sack" of Lawrence, Brooks entered the Senate chamber looking for Sumner whom he found at his desk The Senate was not in session and very few others were in the room. Brooks walked up to Sumner, raised his cane, and struck the Massachusetts Senator over the head with it repeatedly. He continued to strike even after the cane broke from the force of the blows. He continued to strike even after Sumner slumped to the floor. A Congressional colleague, Lawrence Keitt, stood guard to prevent anyone from coming to Sumner's rescue.
- Bleeding Kansas was just the beginning and would lead the Union (North) and Confederacy (South) being pitted against one another in a brutal civil war in which brother was fighting brother.

Chad Richard's notes: "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, on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act

In 1820 it was decided that all territories south of Missouri's southern border would be slave states.  Conversely, all territories north of the border, excluding Missouri itself, were to become free states.  This bill was called the Missouri Compromise.  It provided the government with an adequate solution to the issue of slavery in the territories.  Also, every time a slave state was admitted to the Union, a free state also had to be admitted.  The bill was a great balance for the government of the United States.

     The balance came to an end when the Congress passed the Compromise of 1850.  In this new compromise the territories were to be decided upon by Popular Sovereignty.  This meant that the first settlers to the new territories could decide the eventual fate of the territory.  Stephen Douglas, the author of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, believed that this plan could work and that it was also democratic.  He said that it allowed the people to decide for themselves. 

     Douglas' argument was rebutted by Abraham Lincoln: "An important objection to this application of the right to self-government is that it enables the first FEW, to deprive the succeeding MANY, of a free exercise of the right of self-government.  The first few may get slavery IN, and the subsequent many cannot easily get it OUT."  Lincoln's observation stated the best critique of Douglas.  How could the original settlers decide the fate of all who came after them?  It was an unjust and unfair system of determination; a far cry from the democratic qualities described by Douglas.

     Why did Douglas approve this measure?  Douglas was interested in securing support for a northern trans-continental railroad route through Chicago.  To secure this route, Douglas needed the support of Southern politicians.  The Kansas-Nebraska Act [was supposed to] guarantee Douglas the help he needed to approve the construction of the railroad through Chicago, and not further south in St. Louis.  Douglas' influence in the Congress greatly helped the future of Chicago, but it also helped start the events that eventually led to the Civil War.

     Settlers from the north and the south converged upon the Kansas territory.  The South was led by Senator Atchison.  The southern settlers were given the title of "ruffians," which they did actually adopt for themselves.  The North was led Eli Thayer, a school master from Worcester, Massachusetts.  Both sides tried to settle the land and prepare for the initial vote on slavery.  The first vote was marred by illegal votes, "The first election in the territory, a very large majority of the votes were cast by citizens of the state of Missouri, in violation of the organic law of the territory."  The amount of illegal votes was as high as 60% of all votes collected.  The decision of this vote was not rejected, and the South won their first victory in Kansas. 

     The next vote was to elect the Kansas legislative.  This vote was also determined by illegal votes which were Missouri citizens voting in Kansas.  One of the first laws of the new legislative made the advocacy of anti-slavery sentiments a felony.  The few (slaveholders) had determined that the many (everyone else) could not even speak about abolition.  Abraham Lincoln had correctly understood what Popular Sovereignty really meant. 

    All hell broke loose in the wake of these events.  As a response to the unjust territorial legislature, the anti-slavery groups created their own governing body.  This governing body was to represent the true sentiments of the majority, but it was not officially recognized.  The problems in Kansas culminated with the sack of Lawrence.  In this ruffian-sponsored event, the town of Lawrence was vandalized, the anti-slavery newspapers were destroyed, and the "Free State Hotel" was battered by cannon fire. 

     The issue of Kansas was debated in Congress one day after the sack of Lawrence.  Charles Sumner, a Senator from Massachusetts, made a speech against slavery and against the pro-slavery Senator, Andrew Butler.  This speech led to the beating of Sumner by a relative of Butler, Congressman Preston Brooks.  This specific incident helped the Republican party gain power and influence in the north.  The slaveholding states, due to the ruffians and the beating in Congress, were looked upon as bullies. 

     The settling of Kansas resulted in many different conflicts; but it could be said that it started the biggest conflict in American history, the Civil War.