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Bleeding Kansas, sometimes referred to in history as Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving Free-Staters (anti-slavery) and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri between roughly 1854 and 1858. These incidents were attempts to influence whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. The term "Bleeding Kansas" was coined by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The history of Kansas is rich with the lore of the American West. ... Free Stater[1] is an Irish blog set up (amongst other reasons) as a response to the censorship policies in place at the so-called Freedom Institute, a young think-tank effort by a coterie of (current and former) Irish third-level students of a right-wing bent. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... map of Kansas Territory Kansas Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas became the 34th U.S. state admitted to the Union. ... A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary, or of a different nature. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the term free state as it arises in United States history, see: Free state. ... The free and slave states as of 1861, with free states in blue and slave states in red. ... Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American editor of a leading newspaper, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, reformer and politician. ... The New York Tribune building - today the site of Pace Universitys building complex of One Pace Plaza in New York City The New York Tribune was established by Horace Greeley in 1841 and was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States. ...

The events in Bleeding Kansas directly presaged the American Civil War. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Origins

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territory and provided the cause of the ensuing guerrilla warfare. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, which nullified the Missouri Compromise, included the principle now known as "popular sovereignty", an idea advocated by U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories. Popular sovereignty was an attempt to offer concessions to the Southern states through making possible the expansion of slavery into both western and northern territories. Popular sovereignty, also known in Kansas Territory as squatter sovereignty, was first developed by U.S. Senator Lewis Cass.^{[citation needed]} This is a timeline of significant events leading to the American Civil War. ... Northwest Territory (1787). ... The United States in 1820. ... The Nullification Crisis was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson that arose when the state of South Carolina attempted to nullify a federal law passed by the United States Congress. ... The Wilmot Proviso was introduced on August 8, 1846 in the House of Representatives as a rider on a $2 million appropriations bill intended for the final negotiations to resolve the Mexican-American War. ... Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber; Millard Fillmore presides as Calhoun and Webster look on. ... This 1856 map shows slave states (grey), free states (red), and US territories (green) with Kansas in center (white). ... Holding States do not have the right to claim an individuals property that was fairly theirs in another state. ... The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, and Stephen A. Douglas, a Democrat, for an Illinois seat in the United States Senate. ... John Brown, ca. ... This 1856 map shows slave states (grey), free states (red), and US territories (green) with Kansas in center (white). ... Guerrilla redirects here. ... The United States in 1820. ... Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the belief that the legitimacy of the state is created by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Stephen Arnold Douglas (nicknamed the Little Giant because he was short but was considered by many a giant in politics) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. ... Historic Southern United States. ... This article is about occupying land without permission. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782 – June 17, 1866) was an American military officer and politician. ...

The act established that the question of the expansion of slavery in the new states of Kansas and Nebraska would be decided by the inhabitants of the states. Initially, it was assumed that few slaveowners would attempt to settle in Kansas and make it a slave state, because it was thought to be too far north for profitable exploitation of slaves. However, the eastern portion of Kansas along the Missouri River was as suitable for slave-based agriculture as the nearby "black belt" of Missouri in which most of Missouri's slaves were held. This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ...

The settlement and formation of the state government in Kansas became highly politicized beyond the borders of the territory. There were a number of reasons for this. Missouri, a slave state, was uniquely exposed to free states, with Illinois and Iowa bordering it on the east and north. Most parts of Missouri held very few slaves, and slaveowners were a very small proportion of the state's population. If Kansas entered the Union as a free state, Missouri would have free soil on three sides. Since manumission, abolition activity, and escape were all more common in the border south, the existence of nearby free soil was a threat to Missouri slaveowners. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Also, in the Senate, each state is apportioned two senate seats. A rough balance had existed between free and slave states, but each addition of a state threatened to tip the balance, disrupting the status quo (see Missouri Compromise and Slave Power). Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... The United States in 1820. ... The Slave Power was the term used in the Northern United States in the period 1840-1865 to describe the political power of the slaveholding class in the South. ...

Meeting of North and South

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The first organized immigration to Kansas Territory was by citizens of southern states, most notably neighboring Missouri, who came to the territory to secure the expansion of slavery. Pro-slavery settlements were established by these immigrants at Leavenworth and Atchison. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 728 KB) My photo of artwork by John Steuart Curry I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 728 KB) My photo of artwork by John Steuart Curry I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Leavenworth redirects here. ... Two views of a pedestrian mall on Commercial Street in downtown Atchison Commercial Street in downtown Atchison A statue of Amelia Earhart on Commercial Street in downtown Atchison Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the...

At the same time, several anti-slavery organizations in the North, most notably the New England Emigrant Aid Company, were organizing to fund several thousand settlers to move to Kansas and vote to make it a free state. These organizations helped to establish Free-State settlements further into the territory, in Topeka, Manhattan, and Lawrence. Abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher collected funds to arm like-minded settlers with Sharps rifles, leading to the precision rifles becoming known as "Beecher's Bibles." By the summer of 1855, approximately 1,200 New Englanders had made the journey to the new territory, armed and ready to fight.^{[citation needed]} Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... An Anti-slavery group that helped finance the settlement of thousands of settlers who might vote to make Kansas a free territory via popular sovereignty. ... This article is about the state capital of Kansas. ... Riley County Courthouse, Manhattan Manhattan is a town located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. ... Lawrence is a river city in and the seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, 41 miles (66 km) west of Kansas City, along the banks of both the Kansas (Kaw) and Wakarusa Rivers. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... // The military Sharps rifle (also known as the Berdan Sharps rifle) was a falling block rifle used during and after the American Civil War. ... Beechers Bibles is the name given to the rifles that were supplied to the Free-Soil party emigrants during their emigration to Kansas. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ...

Rumors had spread through the South that 30,000 Northerners were descending on Kansas, and in November 1854, thousands of armed Southerners known as "Border Ruffians," mostly from Missouri, poured over the line in an attempt to steal the election to Congress of a single territorial delegate. Less than half the ballots were cast by registered voters, and at one location, only 20 of over 600 voters were legal residents. The proslavery forces won the election. While Kansas had approximately 2,900 registered voters at the time, not all of whom actually voted, over 6,000 votes were cast. More significantly, the Border Ruffians repeated their actions on March 30, 1855 when the first territorial legislature was elected, swaying the vote again in favor of slavery. The proslavery territorial legislature convened in Pawnee on July 2, 1855, but after one week it adjourned to the Shawnee Mission on the Missouri border, where it began passing laws to institutionalize slavery in Kansas Territory. This was the trigger for the commencement of open violence. In U.S. history, Border Ruffians were pro-slavery sympathizers who infiltrated into Kansas from the slave state of Missouri in the 1850s to harass abolitionists and others who desired Kansas to be admitted to the Union as a free state (one in which slavery was forbidden). ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Pawnee, Kansas is a former town that served as the first official capital of the Kansas Territory, in 1855. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... map of Kansas Territory Kansas Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas became the 34th U.S. state admitted to the Union. ...

Open violence

In August 1855, a group of Free-Staters met and resolved to reject the proslavery laws passed by the territorial legislature. This meeting led to the drafting of the Topeka Constitution and the formation of a shadow government. However, another branch of the movement took a more martial point of view. In October 1855, John Brown came to Kansas Territory to fight slavery. By November 1855, the (relatively bloodless) "Wakarusa War" between the two sides had begun. In a message to Congress on January 24, 1856, President Franklin Pierce declared the Free-State Topeka government to be a "revolution" against the rightful leaders.^[1] The Topeka Convention, held in 1855, was the first attempt to establish a constitution for Kansas Territory. ... A shadow government is a government-in-waiting that remains in waiting with the intent to take control of the government in response to some event. ... John Brown, ca. ... The Wakarusa War was a skirmish that took place in Kansas Territory during November and December 1855 as part of the Bleeding Kansas violence. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804 – October 8, 1869) was an American politician and the fourteenth President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. ...

Preston Brooks attacking Charles Sumner in the U.S. Senate.

On May 21, 1856, a group of Border Ruffians entered the Free-State stronghold of Lawrence, where they burned the Free State Hotel, destroyed two printing presses, and ransacked homes and stores. The day after, Congressman Preston Brooks from South Carolina physically attacked Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts in the Senate chambers, in retaliation for a speech Sumner made that criticized Southerners for proslavery violence in Kansas. Sumner was beaten severely and did not return to his Senate desk for three years. These acts in turn inspired John Brown to lead a group of men in Kansas Territory on an attack at a proslavery settlement at Pottawatomie Creek. The group, which included four of Brown's sons, dragged five pro-slavery men from their homes and hacked them to death with broadswords. Image File history File links Southern_Chivalry. ... Image File history File links Southern_Chivalry. ... Preston Brooks Preston Smith Brooks (August 5, 1819 – January 27, 1857) was a Congressman from South Carolina, notorious for brutally assaulting senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate. ... For other persons named Charles Sumner, see Charles Sumner (disambiguation). ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... In the summer of 1856, the Sacking of Lawrence helped ratchet up the guerrilla war in Kansas Territory that became known as Bleeding Kansas. ... Preston Brooks Preston Smith Brooks (August 5, 1819 – January 27, 1857) was a Congressman from South Carolina, notorious for brutally assaulting senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... For other persons named Charles Sumner, see Charles Sumner (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Pottawatomie massacre occurred during the night of May 24 to the morning of May 25, 1856. ...

Days later, on June 3, John Brown took future Confederate Colonel Henry C. Pate and 22 other pro-slavery soldiers prisoner at the Battle of Black Jack. is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial)  States that seceded under CSA control  States and territories claimed by CSA without formal secession and/or control Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia... The Battle of Black Jack took place on June 2, 1856, when anti-slavery forces, led by the noted abolitionist John Brown, attacked the encampment of Henry C. Pate near Baldwin City, Kansas. ...

In 1856, the official territorial capital was moved to Lecompton, a town only 12 miles (19 km) from Lawrence. In April 1856, a three-man congressional investigating committee arrived in Lecompton to look into the troubles. The majority report of the committee found the elections to be improperly influenced by Border Ruffians. The President failed to follow its recommendations, however, and continued to recognize the pro-slavery legislature as the legitimate government of Kansas. In fact, on July 4, 1856, Pierce sent federal troops to break up an attempted meeting of the shadow government in Topeka. Lecompton is a city located in Douglas County, Kansas, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 608. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

In August, thousands of proslavery Southerners formed into armies and marched into Kansas. That same month, Brown and several of his followers engaged 400 proslavery soldiers in the "Battle of Osawatomie." The hostilities raged for another two months until Brown departed the Kansas Territory, and a new territorial governor, John W. Geary, took office and managed to prevail upon both sides for peace. This was followed by a fragile peace broken by intermittent violent outbreaks for two more years. The last major outbreak of violence was touched off by the Marais des Cygnes massacre in 1858, where Border Ruffians killed five Free State men. The Battle of Osawatomie happened in August 30, 1856 when 250-300 Border Ruffians led by John W. Reid and Rev. ... John White Geary in the Civil War John White Geary (December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873) was a lawyer, politician (mayor of San Francisco, governor of the Kansas Territory, and governor of Pennsylvania), and Union general in the American Civil War. ... The Marais des Cynges Massacre is considered the last significant act of violence in Bleeding Kansas prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War. ...

In all, approximately 56 people died in Bleeding Kansas by the time the violence completely abated in 1859. Following the commencement of the American Civil War in 1861, additional guerrilla violence erupted on the border between Kansas and Missouri. For other uses, see Bushwhackers (disambiguation). ...

Constitutional fight

An adjunct to the guerrilla warfare in Bleeding Kansas was the fight over the constitution that would govern the state of Kansas. Several constitutions were drafted, including the 1855 Topeka Constitution, which created the shadow Free-State government essentially by fiat. Guerrilla redirects here. ... Military fiat is a process whereby a decision is made and enforced by military means without the participation of other political elements. ...

In 1857, a Kansas constitutional convention was convened, which drafted what has become known as the "Lecompton Constitution," a pro-slavery document. The abolitionist forces boycotted the ratification vote because it failed to offer them a means to vote against slavery. The Lecompton Constitution was accepted by President James Buchanan, who urged acceptance and statehood. Congress disagreed and ordered another election. In the second election the pro-slavery forces boycotted the process, allowing the anti-slavery forces to claim victory by defeating the document. In the end, the Lecompton Constitution died because it was not clear whether it represented the will of the majority. The Lecompton Constitution was one of four proposed Kansas state constitutions. ... Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other persons named James Buchanan, see James Buchanan (disambiguation). ...

In mid-1859, the Wyandotte Constitution was drafted; this document represented the prevailing abolitionist view. It was approved by the electorate by a 2-to-1 margin, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state pursuant to its terms on January 29, 1861. Drawn up at Wyandotte (now part of Kansas City) in July 1859, the Wyandotte Constitution was the 4th and final constitution voted on by the people of Kansas regarding the terms of Kansas admission to the union, particularly whether as a free state or slave state. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Historic site

In 2006, legislation that enabled a new "Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area" was passed by Congress. Kansas counties designated for inclusion include Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson, Woodson, and Wyandotte. Atchison County (standard abbreviation: AT) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Bourbon County (standard abbreviation: BB) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Crawford County (standard abbreviation: CR) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. ... Douglas County (standard abbreviation: DG) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. ... Franklin County (standard abbreviation: FR) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Johnson County (standard abbreviation: JO) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Leavenworth County (standard abbreviation: LV) is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. ... Pottawatomie County (standard abbreviation: PT) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Riley County (standard abbreviation: RL) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. ... Shawnee County (standard abbreviation: SN) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. ... Wyandotte County (standard abbreviation: WY and commonly referred to as The Dotte by its residents) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. ...

References

Notes

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

v • d • e Missouri in the American Civil War
Pre-War	History of slavery in Missouri · Missouri Compromise · Dred Scott Decision · Bleeding Kansas · Armed Neutrality
1861	Missouri Constitutional Convention · Liberty Arsenal · St. Louis Arsenal · Camp Jackson Affair · Missouri State Guard · Price-Harney Truce · Grant's First Command · Governor on the Run · Battle of Boonville · Battle of Cole Camp · Battle of Carthage · Gamble's Provisional Government · Battle of Athens · Battle of Wilson's Creek · Frémont Martial Law · Battle of Dry Wood Creek · Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy · Sacking of Osceola · Battle of Liberty · Battle of Lexington I · Battle of Fredericktown · Missouri secession · Battle of Springfield I · Department of the Missouri · Battle of Belmont · Gratiot Street Prison · Burning of Platte City · Blackwater/Milford · Battle of Mount Zion Church
1862	Army of the West · Battle of Roan's Tan Yard · Battle of Island Number Ten · Battle of Moore's Mill · Battle of Kirksville · First Battle of Independence · Battle of Lone Jack · First Battle of Newtonia · Palmyra Massacre · Skirmish at Island Mound · Battle of Clark's Mill
1863	Battle of Springfield II · Battle of Hartville · Battle of Cape Girardeau · Battle of Chalk Bluff · General Order № 11 · Shelby's Raid
1864	Centralia Massacre · Army of Missouri · Price's Raid · Battle of Fort Davidson · Battle of Glasgow · Battle of Lexington II · Battle of Little Blue River · Battle of Byram's Ford · Second Battle of Independence · Battle of Westport · Battle of Marmiton River · Battle of Newtonia II
1865	Lincoln's Vaughn Pardon
Reconstruction	James-Younger Gang · Bald Knobbers

v • d • e Kansas in the American Civil War
Pre-War	Kansas-Nebraska Act · Bleeding Kansas · Sacking of Lawrence · Pottawatomie Massacre · Battle of Black Jack · Battle of Osawatomie · Marais des Cygnes massacre
September 1861	Battle of Dry Wood Creek · Sacking of Osceola
August 1863	Lawrence Massacre · General Order № 11 (1863)
October 1863	Battle of Baxter Springs
October 1864	Battle of Marais des Cygnes · Battle of Mine Creek