John Brown of Osawatomie
Shortly before the American Civil War, an attack by pro-slavery militants on the city of Lawrence prompted John Brown to try to clean up Kansas.
1859
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
Shortly before the American Civil War, an attack by pro-slavery militants on the city of Lawrence prompted John Brown to try to clean up Kansas.
1859
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
As the United States of America lurched towards the Civil War, the State of Kansas found herself torn into two. Two rival ‘governments’ sprang up, each with its own capital, one for a Slave-owning state and one for a Free state. In 1861, Kansas declared for the Union but it had been a close-run thing and some of her sons had not been too nice in their methods.
THESE rival sections [in Kansas] soon set up governments to suit themselves. The Free-state settlers had their headquarters at Topeka and Lawrence; the Slave-state, at Leavenworth and Lecompton. From 1854 to 1859 that part of the country suffered so much from the efforts of both parties to get control that it fairly earned the name of “Bleeding Kansas.”
In the course of this period of violence and bloodshed the Slave-state men attacked Lawrence, plundered the town, and burned some of its chief buildings. This roused the spirit of vengeance in the heart of ‘Old John Brown’ of Osawatomie.* Brown got together a small band, surprised a little settlement of Slave-state men on Pottawatomie Creek, south of Lawrence, dragged five of them from their beds, and deliberately murdered them. Later, Brown crossed into Missouri, destroyed considerable property, freed eleven slaves, and shot one of the slave-owners. The truth appears to be that each party in Kansas was resolved to drive out the other.
* Osawatomie is a city in Kansas. It takes its name from two streams, the Osage and the Potawatomie, ultimately named after Native American tribes. Primary stress is on the ‘wa’ syllable: oh-suh-WAH-toe-mee.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Why was Kansas dubbed ‘Bleeding Kansas’ in 1854-1859?
Because of bitter civil unrest over slavery.
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
The people of Kansas fought each other in 1854-59. The issue was slavery. The State was nicknamed Bleeding Kansas.