BLEEDING KANSAS BETWEEN 1854-1861

BY: KEIARA DENMAN

What may have been going on?

Bleeding Kansas also known as: Bloody Kansas Border War A proxy war between Northerners and

SouthernersOver the issue of Slavery in the United State. Bleeding Kansas was a term coined by Horace

Greely of New York Tribune. It also presaged the American Civil War.

WHO WHERE APART OF THE EVENTS?

Anti-Slavery (ABOLITIONISTS) Pro-Slavery (BORDER RUFFIAN ELEMENTS) Free Staters The question they all wanted to know was

whether Kansas would enter the Union as a Free State or Slave State.

Violence between the groups continued until Kansas entered the union as a free state in January 29, 1861.

Where?

Kansas Territory

Western Frontier towns of the U.S State of Missouri

Compromise of 1850

Calm to the nation

Blacks and abolitionists opposed the compromise, but majority of Americans embraced it

Would be a workable solution to the slavery question

Also saved union from terrible split

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

It established boundaries of Nebraska and Kansas

Used popular Sovereignty

Murder and Mayhem

Massacre in May 1856 at Pottawtomie Creek where John Brown and His sons killed five pro-slavery advocates.

Summer of 1856 30 pro-slavery settlers from South Carolina arrived in Bourbon County

They where apart of the Southern Emigrant Aid society & dark Lantern Societies

Which terrorized free state settlers and attempted drive them from Kansas

A town Divided

“Old Fort” - known as Fort Scott• Sold to public auction from fort became the

nucleus of a rapidly growing town.• Two of the buildings became hotels

Fort Scott “Free State Hotel”

across from the street was (parade ground) Was the western

- “Pro Slavery Hotel”

1858 : A most Violent Year

Intensified in southeast Kansas James Montgomery became leader of free state

forces and involved in several violent incidents. In April :

- Montgomery and his men fought U.S troops stationed at Fort Scott in Battle of Paint Creek. ( one soldier was killed in encounter.)

In May: they repelled Pro-Slavery forces from Linn County

(11 free Staters were pulled out of their homes and taken to a ravine and shot down. (incident known as “Marais Des Cygnes Massacre” rumored to have been plotted in the Western Hotel.)

Cont.

In June: they tried to burn down the Hotel shots were fired in

hotel and homes around, but the hotel was saved. On the 15, the Governor held a meeting in the Western

Hotel in order to settle Political unrest, the meeting progressed into a riot. (peace and tranquility reigned for a brief 5 month period.)

In December: Montgomery and his followers struck again and then

Montgomery rescued Benjamin Rice (he was arrested for murder and imprisoned in Fort Scott Hotel.)

Montgomery felt he was jailed illegally and went to free him.

The ending!

Before they entered the union: Deputy Marshal John Little (Pro-Slavery

Advocate) fired shots into ranks of Free Staters. When he looked out the window to see what he had done Little had been shot and killed by a Free-Stater.

Littles Fiance’, Gene Campbell wrote a letter to Montgomery on how she felt about him.

In which not to much later they became a Free State!

Research

Main Source from: http://thomaslegion.net/bleedingkansas.html

Helping sources Wikipedia Review book!