Lecompton: the pro-slavery constitution that made “Bleeding Kansas” boil

The Fraudulent Constitution That Split Congress and America

A small brick building in Kansas once shook America to its core.

In 1857, pro-slavery men met at Constitution Hall in Lecompton to rig Kansas into the Union as a slave state. They wrote a constitution that kept slavery no matter how folks voted.

When President Buchanan backed this fraud, Congress fell apart. Lawmakers brawled at 2 a.m. , with one man’s toupee ripped off in the chaos.

The fight split the Democratic Party, made Lincoln famous, and pushed the nation toward war.

Today, you can walk on the same cottonwood floors where this crisis began and touch a piece of history that nearly broke America.

Pro-slavery Folks Took Over Constitution Hall

Slavery supporters met at Constitution Hall in Lecompton from October 19 to November 8, 1857. They wrote a constitution protecting slavery no matter what Kansas voters wanted.

Free-state folks skipped the June elections for delegates, giving slavery backers total control. Their constitution claimed slave property rights came “before and higher than any constitutional sanction.”

They blocked free blacks from basic rights and stopped the legislature from freeing slaves without owner approval.

Voters Got a Rigged Choice in December

The December 21, 1857 vote gave Kansas folks a fake choice between “constitution with slavery” or “constitution without slavery. ” The catch? Voting “without slavery” still kept all current slaves as property. Free-state supporters refused to vote in this sham.

Slavery supporters claimed victory with 6,226 votes to 569. Later checks found over 3,000 fake pro-slavery votes.

Missouri “border ruffians” crossed into Kansas to stuff ballot boxes and scare off anti-slavery voters.

Kansas Voters Showed What They Really Wanted in January

The territorial legislature held a fair vote on January 4, 1858, letting people fully reject the Lecompton Constitution. Kansas voters crushed it 10,226 to 138.

This honest count showed free-state supporters far outnumbered pro-slavery folks in Kansas. The December vote had clearly been a fraud built on threats and fake ballots.

When given a real choice, Kansas people strongly rejected slavery.

Buchanan Ignored What Kansas Folks Wanted

President James Buchanan sent the Lecompton Constitution to Congress on February 2, 1858. He asked them to make Kansas a slave state despite knowing about the massive cheating.

Buchanan acted like the December vote was real and ignored the January results that showed what Kansas folks truly wanted.

His move angered Northern Democrats who believed territories should choose their own path on slavery. Stephen Douglas broke with the president and joined Republicans to fight the constitution.

Congressmen Started Punching and Wigs Went Flying

A wild brawl broke out at 2 a.m. on February 6, 1858. More than 30 Representatives started fighting during heated talks about Kansas.

Pennsylvania Republican Galusha Grow and South Carolina Democrat Laurence Keitt traded insults before throwing punches.

Wisconsin Republicans John Potter and Cadwallader Washburn yanked off Mississippi Democrat William Barksdale’s hairpiece.

Barksdale put his toupee back on backwards, making everyone laugh and cooling tempers. Speaker James Orr struggled to restore order.

The Senate Said Yes While the House Said No

The Senate approved the Lecompton Constitution on March 23, 1858, voting 33 to 25. Southern Democrats pushed it through while Douglas led Northern Democrats against it.

The House stayed under control of Republicans and anti-Lecompton Northern Democrats. On April 1, the House voted 120 to 112 to send the constitution back to Kansas for a fair vote.

This created a standoff between the pro-slavery Senate and the anti-slavery House.

Congress Tried to Bribe Kansas to Accept Slavery

Congress passed the English Bill on April 30, 1858, as a compromise.

Named after Indiana Representative William English, it offered Kansas immediate statehood if they took the Lecompton Constitution.

If they rejected it, Kansas would stay a territory until its population hit 93,000 people, nearly triple the 35,000 normally needed for slave states.

The bill included 3.5 million acres of land to sweeten the deal. Douglas fought against this plan, calling it a bribe.

Lincoln Warned the Country Was Splitting Apart

Abraham Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” speech on June 16, 1858, accepting the Republican nomination for Senate. He warned that “government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.”

Lincoln claimed Douglas, former President Pierce, Chief Justice Taney, and President Buchanan were working together to spread slavery nationwide.

He attacked Douglas’s idea that territories should decide the slavery question themselves. This speech set up the famous debates that would make Lincoln known across America.

The Lecompton Fight Took Over the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Lincoln-Douglas debates ran from August through October 1858, with the candidates mentioning “Lecompton” at least 55 times. Lincoln criticized Douglas for opening the door to slavery with the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Douglas defended his stand against the Lecompton Constitution while trying to please both North and South. His opposition to Lecompton helped him with Northern voters but made Southern Democrats hate him.

The debates turned Lincoln into a Republican star even though he lost the Senate race.

Kansas Voters Rejected Slavery for the Third Time

Kansas voters crushed the Lecompton Constitution again on August 2, 1858, with 11,300 votes against and only 1,788 in favor.

This fair election, watched by federal officials, confirmed what the January vote had already shown. Kansas chose to stay a territory rather than become a slave state.

President Buchanan’s plan to force slavery on Kansas lay in ruins after this third major defeat.

The Democratic Party Cracked and Lincoln Walked Through

The Lecompton fight permanently split the Democratic Party into Northern and Southern wings. Northern Democrats like Douglas lost Southern support because they opposed the pro-slavery constitution.

Southern Democrats started demanding federal laws to protect slavery in all territories, which Northern Democrats couldn’t accept.

By 1860, the party had broken apart completely, running three different candidates for president.

The Republican Party stayed united behind Lincoln, helping him win with just 39% of the popular vote against his divided opponents.

Visiting Constitution Hall, Kansas

Constitution Hall at 319 Elmore Street in Lecompton offers free admission (though a $3 donation is suggested) to explore where the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857-1858.

You can see Albert G. Boone’s land office desk and the candle box used to hide fake ballots during this pivotal moment that helped push America toward Civil War.

The hall is open Wednesday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 1-5pm, with annual Bleeding Kansas programs featuring historians and reenactments.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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