Bleeding Kansas Before The Civil War
Rarely has there ever been a time of rest in this world full of restlessness. Not now, and certainly not back in 19th century America. Bleeding Kansas (also known as Bloody Kansas) was a brutal time after Kansas was created when pro and anti slavery forces couldn’t agree on the topic of slavery in America. From 1855 to 1859, the period before the Civil War was one of viciousness and barbarity.
Before getting into the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Missouri Compromise, which was previously established in 1820, must be introduced. It made it so that slavery was banned in states above the southern border of Missouri. For just over 30 years, it remained enforced before the Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854. It established two new states and allowed the population to decide whether or not the territory would be a free or slave state. Following the creation of the territories, activists who supported and opposed slavery began clashing over how the vote should be cast. However, before the law was even formally passed, those who were adamantly opposed to slavery founded the Republican Party. At its core, the main consequence of the measure was igniting a civil war. …show more content…
According to a paper by Civil War on the Western Border, "Lawrence developed during a period of increasing tension in the Kansas Territory between newly-arrived eastern abolitionists and proslavery southerners." Buildings were set on fire, newspaper offices were destroyed, and people were physically assaulted. Any anti-slavery activity at this time was met with extreme brutality in an effort to put an end to it. Imagine the fury an abolitionist would experience if they had no choice but to watch their tireless efforts be destroyed in a single day. Now, you might be thinking, as John Brown did during the Pottawatomie Creek
Before getting into the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Missouri Compromise, which was previously established in 1820, must be introduced. It made it so that slavery was banned in states above the southern border of Missouri. For just over 30 years, it remained enforced before the Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854. It established two new states and allowed the population to decide whether or not the territory would be a free or slave state. Following the creation of the territories, activists who supported and opposed slavery began clashing over how the vote should be cast. However, before the law was even formally passed, those who were adamantly opposed to slavery founded the Republican Party. At its core, the main consequence of the measure was igniting a civil war. …show more content…
According to a paper by Civil War on the Western Border, "Lawrence developed during a period of increasing tension in the Kansas Territory between newly-arrived eastern abolitionists and proslavery southerners." Buildings were set on fire, newspaper offices were destroyed, and people were physically assaulted. Any anti-slavery activity at this time was met with extreme brutality in an effort to put an end to it. Imagine the fury an abolitionist would experience if they had no choice but to watch their tireless efforts be destroyed in a single day. Now, you might be thinking, as John Brown did during the Pottawatomie Creek