Brooks was born in South Carolina in 1819 and went to the South Carolina College in 1839, which is known as the University of South Carolina today. Despite his excellent grades, he faced many difficulties at school, from terrible attendance to his infamous duels. Eventually, he was expelled and never graduated from college (Puleo). He had attended law school and became involved with the Mexican War. In fact, he served as a captain in the Palmetto Regiment, establishing his role within United States history briefly (Gienapp). In 1853, he was elected as a representative in the House of Representatives. Less known was his brother, John Hampden Brooks, who entirely supported Preston Brooks’s decision in beating Charles Sumner. Later, through letters, John expressed his glee and his wholehearted support for his brother. Yet, in reality, the incident faced much more controversy nationwide. On May 22, 1856, Brooks briskly strode into the Senate chamber and began to beat Senator Charles Sumner violently with his cane (“Commentary on 1856”). As a Democrat, his views were mainly for slavery, typical of the time. To his credit, Brooks was known as a very moderate Democrat, one willing to compromise often with the other side and stressed the need for cooperation. Newspapers had attributed characteristics like being “considerate and kind” to Brooks’s character (Puleo). But…