n a fall day in 1856, David Buffum was quietly

working in his fields near Lawrence. Suddenly,

he observed a small band of riders stealing his

team of horses. Because horses were both ex-

pensive and his only means of transportation, Buffum

knew losing them would be a blow. He approached the

thieves, protesting, and tried to elicit sympathy by

pointing out that he was lame and had siblings to sup-

port. In response, one of the riders shot Buffum in the

K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 5

by Rebecca Martin

W ILLINGto DIE

or

The opening

of Kansas

Territory in

1854 ignited

a battle that

would find

resolution

only after

years of

struggle in

f

OO

W ILLINGDIE

FREEDOMFREEDOM

6 K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

President Franklin Pierce signs theKansas– Nebraska bill creating Kansas Terri-tory. In January 1854 Senator Stephen Dou-glas had introduced a bill into Congress thatdivided the land west of Missouri into twoterritories: Kansas and Nebraska. He had pro-moted popular sovereignty, which would allowsettlers in the new territories to decide ifKansas would enter the Union as a free orslave state. Antislavery supporters were out-raged because the terms of the MissouriCompromise of 1820 would have outlawed

Territorial Times

M AY

1854

Andrew Reeder is appointed the firstgovernor of Kansas Territory.JUNE

The first antislavery settlers of theMassachusetts Emigrant Aid Company (prede-cessor to the New England Emigrant Aid Com-pany) arrive in Kansas Territory and soon

Governor Andrew Reeder arrives atFort Leavenworth and on November 24moves his executive offices to Shawnee Mis-

Governor Reeder calls the firstelection in Kansas Territory to select a dele-

Sons of abolitionist John Brown beginarriving in Kansas and settle along Pot-tawatomie Creek near Osawatomie. Their in-famous father later joins them.

An election is held to select theterritorial legislature. About 1,000 proslaveryMissourians enter Kansas “armed with guns,pistols, rifles, and bowie knives . . . two can-non loaded with musket balls.” They takecharge of the polls, cast fraudulent votes,and intimidate free-state citizens to prevent

JULY

OCTOBER

SPRIN

M ARCH

NOVEMBER

1855

stomach. The band rode off, leaving the

young man to die in the dirt.At first glance this seems to be a cold-

blooded murder committed against an in-nocent bystander. But in Kansas Territory,things were seldom as simple as theyseemed.

The truth is that Buffum hardly was in-nocent, nor was he a bystander. He hadcome to Kansas Territory two years earli-er with members of the New England Emi-grant Aid Company, a strongly antislaverygroup. Furthermore, he had helped otherfree-state settlers smuggle a cannon intothe territory. Buffum’s lameness, althoughgiving the impression of defenselessness,actually was the result of an earlier skir-mish.

As he lay dying nearly 150 years ago,David Buffum voiced support for the anti-slavery cause inwords that be-came his epi-taph: “I am will-ing to die forthe cause offreedom inKansas.” Theproslavery militi-amen who killedBuffum undoubt-edly knew himand hated hispolitics. This

Gravestone ofDavid Buffum, whowas killed byproslavery sup-porters nearLawrence in 1856and lies buried inPioneer Cemeteryon the west cam-

Wilson Shannon is appointed gover-nor; Governor Reeder was removed from of-

Free-state delegatesassemble in Topeka and draft the TopekaConstitution prohibiting slavery in the territo-ry. The constitution is presented to Congress

Freestaters meet in Big Springsto form the Free State Party.

Freestater Charles Dow is killed byproslavery man Franklin Coleman, in a land dis-pute. Dow’s friend, Jacob Branson, is arrestedby Sheriff Samuel Jones and subsequently res-

The Wakarusa War begins follow-ing Jacob Branson’s rescue. Governor Shannoncalls out militia forces, which lay siege toLawrence. A truce is reached on December 8.

Thomas W. Barber, having aided inthe defense of Lawrence during the WakarusaWar, is shot and killed by a proslavery sup-porter while riding to his home southwest of

K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 7

Territorial Times

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER 23–NOVEM-

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

The first convention of freestatersmeets in Lawrence and calls for the electionAUGUST

The first territorial legislature compris-ing mostly proslavery members convenes atPawnee near Fort Riley. Dissatisfied with theaccommodations, they reconvene at

JULY

A proslavery and an antislavery manare killed in Leavenworth County during anJANUARY

Free-state leaders including CharlesRobinson and John Brown Jr. are arrested for“high treason” and held in Lecompton, the

M AY

1856

doesn’t excuse his murder, butit does change its place in his-tory from a baseless act of vi-

olence to one grounded in territorial poli-tics.

Created by an act of Congress in1854, Kansas Territory quickly becamethe center of the nation’s attention aspeople battled over whether it shouldenter the Union as a free or slave state. hy Kansas? A variety of circumstancescontributed to its being a focal point inthe debate over slavery. To follow thestory from the beginning, we need toback up several decades, to the end of1818 when the United States held anequal number of slave and free states. Inthat same year when Missouri applied toCongress to be admitted to the Union asa slave state, it set off a firestorm ofcontroversy about the extension of slav-ery into new western states. In an at-tempt to resolve the debate, Congresspassed the Missouri Compromise in 1820,which allowed Missouri to enter the Unionas a slave state and Maine to enter theUnion as a free state, but the Compro-mise also prohibited slavery in the remain-der of the Louisiana Purchase north oflatitude 36°30' north (the southernboundary of Missouri).

Unfortunately, resolution was tempo-rary, and old wounds reopened in 1854when the Kansas– Nebraska Act repealedthe Missouri Compromise and permittedthe possibility of slavery in Kansas. Muchto the chagrin of antislavery supportersthis act decreed the principle known as“popular sovereignty,” which allowed thepeople of the new territories to decide ifthey would enter the Union as a slave or

WW

free state. Because Kansas bordered Mis-souri, a slave state, it seemed likely thatslavery would extend into the new state.People from all over the United Statescame to Kansas to cast their votes for oragainst slavery in the new territory.

Kansas is unique among states in itscomplicated territorial politics. Between1854 and 1861 it created four separatestate constitutions (one of which wasvoted on three times), the territory hadten different governors, the capital movedto five different towns, and two separatelegislatures existed at the same time—one antislavery (and illegal) and the

other proslavery. Fraudulentelections, threats of violence,and congressional disagree-ments all prolonged the conflict.

Adding to the tense atmosphere, bothanti- and proslavery supporters commit-ted murders, attacked towns and settle-ments, and destroyed property. Thearea became known as Bleeding Kansasbecause of these clashes.

Much of the violence in Kansas, how-ever, was exaggerated by the press, withboth Northern and Southern newspapersplaying up acts of aggression. Most of theevents referred to as “battles” were littlemore than skirmishes, and the “forts”nothing more than reinforced log cabins.As a result, however, the nation believedall of Kansas to be a bloody battleground.In reality, more settlers felt the threat ofviolence than actually suffered from it di-rectly.

eople on all sides of the Kansas conflictwere, however, willing to die forfreedom — as they defined it. Proslavery

Territorial Times

The Pottawatomie Massacre occurs inFranklin County when free-state forces led byJohn Brown brutally murder five proslavery

M AY

The Battle of Black Jack takes placenear Baldwin when free-state forces led byJohn Brown clash with Henry Pate’s proslavery

JUNE

Free-state forces attack a proslav-ery camp south of Lawrence in the first Bat-tle of Franklin. A second attack will occur Au-

Freestater Jacob Cantrel is killed inJohnson County following the Battle of Black

Under an executive directive, ColonelEdwin Sumner and U.S. military forces dis-perse the free-state legislature at Topeka.

Avoiding the Missouri blockade,James Lane and nearly 600 emigrants arrive inKansas, traveling the Lane Trail through Iowaand Nebraska. They establish the free-stateforts of Plymouth, Lexington, and Holton.Marked by piles of rock known as “Lane’schimneys,” the trail also serves as part of the

David Starr Hoyt, a freestater, iskilled near Fort Saunders, a proslavery camp

Fort Titus, a proslavery fortificationnear Lecompton, is attacked by free-stateforces. Several men are killed during the bat-tle, and twenty proslavery prisoners are

Governor Wilson Shannon is re-moved from office, and John Geary is instat-

JUNE

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

AUGUST

AUGUST

AUGUST

8 K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

Senator Charles Sumner from Massa-chusetts is beaten on the U.S. Senate floorby South Carolina congressman PrestonBrooks after Sumner delivered his “The Crime

M AY

Sheriff Samuel Jones and his proslav-ery posse sack Lawrence. The “Demons ofslave power” burn the home of Charles Robin-son and destroy several businesses, including

M AY

PP

supporters fought for the right to extendslavery into new territories and maintainthe Southern way of life. Opposing themand their ideals was the free-state contin-gency, perhaps a more complex group be-cause it comprised both abolitionists andthe more moderate antislavery advocates.While these two factions supported the

common cause of making Kansas a freestate, abolitionists believed slavery to bemorally wrong and sought to abolish thisinstitution, freeing all slaves, even thosein the South. The more moderatefreestaters also opposed slavery but notnecessarily because they thought it wasmorally wrong. Slavery, they believed, lim-ited economic opportunities for white set-tlers; they did not want to compete with

Territorial Times

The Battle of Osawatomie, MiamiCounty, ignites when 400 Missourians attackthe town, driving out freestaters led by JohnBrown. The town is burned and looted, and

AUGUST

The Battle of Hickory Point,south of Oskaloosa in Jefferson County, en-sues between a Lawrence force and proslav-ery men. The latter surrender after one fatal-

SEPTEMBER

Free-state man David Buffum ismurdered near Lecompton by Charles Hays,who is attempting to steal Buffum’s horse.

SEPTEMBER

1857JANUARY

The proslavery legislature meets inLecompton. The National Democratic Party ofKansas Territory is formed.

JANUARY

K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 9

William Sherrard, who recently hasthreatened the life of Governor Geary, is shotand killed at a political meeting in Lecompton.

FEBRUARY

Governor Geary resigns his position,M ARCH

The Dred Scott decision is handeddown by the U.S. Supreme Court. The deci-sion states that “Negroes are not citizens ofthe United States; and that the residence of aslave in a Free State does not affect his legal

M ARCH

Robert Walker is appointed governorof Kansas Territory.M ARCH

At the free-state convention in Tope-ka, James Lane urges free-state men not toparticipate in the Lecompton movement anddeclares the proslavery territorial laws invalid.

JUNE

Artist’s rendition of a skirmish betweenproslavery and free-state forces at “Fort Titus”

Territorial Times

1 0 K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

Members of the con-stitutional convention at Lecompton draftthe Lecompton Constitution, which if passedby Congress will make Kansas a slave state.

At the Lawrence free-state conven-tion, officers ask for resolutions to submit theLecompton and the Topeka Constitutions to

A free-state meeting is held inLawrence to pass resolutions against theLecompton Constitution movement and de-nounce the election under it as a “farce and a

With freestaters refusing to par-ticipate in the election, the Lecompton Con-stitution is approved, with nearly 6,000 votesfor a constitution with slavery and around600 votes for a constitution without. Ninevotes are recorded in favor of “To Hell withthe Lecompton Constitution.” Fraudulent

Robert Walker resigns his positionas governor of Kansas Territory.

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER 19 –NOVEM-

DECEMBER

Four proslavery men are killed inBourbon County by freestaters defendingDECEMBER

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

James Denver takes the oath ofoffice to become governor of Kansas Territo-DECEMBER

The free-state faction achieves avictory in the election for the territorial legis-OCTOBER

The proslavery Lecompton Consti-SEPTEMBER

A free-state convention is held atGrasshopper Falls to decide if free-state menshould take part in the October territorial

AUGUST

Following city elections in Lawrence,Governor Walker declares that action rebel-lious and reluctantly sends U.S. troops to en-

JULY slave owners for land and feared slaverywould drive down wages for everyone.

Supporting the antislavery cause, manyemigrants came to Kansas Territory from

the “Old Northwest” (Illinois, Iowa, Ohio,and nearby states). Easterners, alsostrongly backing the free-state move-ment, formed the New England EmigrantAid Company, which became the best-known organization to bring settlers toKansas. The majority of proslavery sup-

Tintype of an unidentified African Americanwoman, ca. 1860. This photograph was passeddown through generations of the Platt family.Jireh Platt was an active abolitionist in Mendon,Illinois. His sons Enoch and Luther, members ofthe Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony, settled inWabaunsee County where they operated a stationon the underground railroad. The Platts may

porters came to Kansas from neighboringMissouri. Although most did not own slavesthemselves, they viewed Kansas as an ex-tension of that slave state and supportedslavery in the new territory. Some Missouri-ans did not settle in Kansas but crossedthe border to cast fraudulent votes in ter-ritorial elections, adding greatly to the ten-sions between anti- and proslavery set-tlers.

Near and dear to nearly all involved inthe fight to settle and govern Kansas wasanother major factor: money. Financial gainthrough business ventures and land specu-lation attracted both proslavery and anti-slavery advocates, including abolitionists.Regardless of moral or political convictions,settlers flocked to Kansas Territory to reapthe economic benefits of seemingly end-less opportunities. Even the founders ofthe New England Emigrant Aid Companyviewed their organization as a “money-making venture.”

While the story of territorial Kansasoften focuses on the struggles and politics

of the white settlers, AfricanAmericans also were an impor-tant group, albeit a small one,during territorial times. Blacks

truly perceived Kansas as the land of op-portunity— especially freedom. The activi-ties of John Brown and other abolitionistsin Kansas were widely known throughoutthe nation. Within their slaves’ hearing,slaveholders cursed the residents ofLawrence and other antislavery strong-holds, and blacks all over the South cameto equate Kansas with freedom. Bothslaves and free blacks lived in Kansas Terri-tory, but in reality the “land of freedom”was something of a paradox for African

Territorial Times

K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

The Lecompton Constitution ispresented to Congress. President Buchananadvocates for its approval saying, “Kansas is. . . as much a slave state as South Carolinaor Georgia.” After much debate, Congress re-jects the constitution and directs that it be

The Marais des Cygnes Massacre inLinn County results in the death of five free-state settlers and five more wounded, all un-armed and gunned down in a ravine by aproslavery mob. In response to the tragedy,John Greenleaf Whittier would publish his fa-mous “Le Marais Du Cygne” poem, calling the

A free-state constitutional conven-tion meets at Mineola but adjourns to meettwo days later in Leavenworth. The Leaven-worth Constitution is completed on April 3,

U.S. troops arrive in Fort Scott toquell violence between proslavery forces andJames Montgomery’s free-state jayhawkers.

James Lane shoots and kills GaiusJenkins in Lawrence over a land claim dispute.

A popular vote on the LecomptonConstitution, under a compromise known asthe English bill, defeats the constitution.

Abraham Lincoln addresses the Na-tional Republican Convention in Springfield, Illi-nois, declaring, “A house divided against itself

FEBRUARY

M ARCH

M AY

M AY

JUNE

JUNE

AUGUST

1858

Governor Denver resigns his of-fice, effective October 10. Hugh Walsh isnamed acting governor until Samuel Medary

SEPTEMBER

John Brown goes into Missouri toliberate fourteen slaves. A $3,000 reward isoffered by the governor of Missouri for

DECEMBER

WW

Americans: racism was prevalent, evenamong freestaters, many of whom did notsupport equality for blacks and some whoeven favored exclusion of blacks from theterritory. Unfortunately, Kansas Territorydid not advocate equal rights nor hold thesame opportunity for everyone.

Native Americans also were victims ofinequality. For decades Indians had beenremoved to Kansas to make room forwhite settlement. As Kansas Territory wasreadied for its new white pioneers, treatyafter treaty usurped hundreds of thou-sands of acres from tribes that impededthe westward flow of white migration. Na-tive and immigrant tribes all struggled tofind their place, or give up their place, in a

rapidly changing world. Generally,the most successful Indians— atleast in economic terms—werethose willing to conform to the

ways of the white world.

Territorial Times

1 2 K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

The fourth constitutional conventionconvenes at Wyandotte. The WyandotteConstitution, under which Kansas eventuallybecomes a state, is adopted July 29.

JULY

Kansas voters ratify the Wyandotte

John Doy is rescued from jail in St.Joseph, Missouri, by Kansas men.

John Brown and eighteen mentake possession of Harpers Ferry, Virginia,seizing the federal arsenal. Brown is cap-tured. He is tried, convicted of treason, and

JULY

OCTOBER

OCTOBER

The trial of Dr. John Doy results in“No verdict.” At a second trial in June, he isconvicted of “negro stealing” and sentenced

M ARCH

A free-state convention is held at Os-awatomie and organizes the Republican PartyM AY

Accompanying liberated slavesnorth through Kansas, John Brown is stoppednear Holton where proslavery forces try tocapture him. When their attempt fails, the re-treat of the proslavery men becomes known

Dr. John Doy and son Charles, withthirteen fugitive slaves, are arrested inJANUARY

JANUARY

Abraham Lincoln arrives in KansasTerritory. He delivers speeches and visitsseveral towns including Leavenworth andAtchison during a week-long sojourn.

DECEMBER

1859At Trading Post in Linn County,

John Brown writes his famous “Parallels,” de-crying territorial injustice. The Lawrence Re-publican publishes them ten days later.

JANUARY

In 1856 this flag was used in a rally at Pitts-burgh, Pennsylvania, for Republican presiden-tial nominee John C. Frémont. The oversizedthirty-fourth star and the words “Admit MeFree” in the canton of the flag support Kansasadmittance to the Union as a free state. The flag

TT

hile the political conflictin Kansas Territorytook center stage

from 1854 to 1861,many came to the terri-tory during that time simplylooking for a place to set down roots, toestablish homes, to “get ahead” economi-cally, and to go about the business ofeveryday living. The Stinsons are an excel-lent example of one Kansas family thattried to do just that. Thomas Stinson wasa white man married to Julia Bushman, apart-Shawnee woman. Together, theyowned slaves. Like most Kansans, theStinsons hoped to achieve financial suc-cess while avoiding the devastating con-flicts over the slavery issue. They ownedland, operated a trading post first atUniontown and later at Tecumseh, and rana ferry on the Kansas River.

Tecumseh had strong proslavery lean-ings, but the Stinsons did not discriminatebetween free-state or proslavery when

Territorial Times

1861President James Buchanan signs

the Kansas admission bill. Under the Wyan-dotte Constitution, Kansas enters the Union

The first state legislature convenesin Topeka.

Secessionist troops fire on FortSumter, South Carolina, officially beginning the

JANUARY

M ARCH

APRIL

K A N S A S H E R I T A G E : S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

In Doniphan County workers beginlaying track for the Elwood & Marysville Rail-road, the first track laid on Kansas soil.

A bill to admit Kansas to state-hood is introduced in the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives. Two days later the WyandotteConstitution is introduced to the U.S. Senate.

The first Pony Express leaves St.Joseph, Missouri, traveling across northeast

The U.S. House votes to accept

John Ritchie of Topeka shoots andkills Deputy U.S. Marshal Leonard Arms whenArms attempts to arrest Ritchie for allegedoffenses during the political troubles of

Abraham Lincoln wins plurality in afour-way presidential contest.

FEBRUARY

M ARCH

APRIL

APRIL

APRIL

NOVEMBER

1860

The Morgan Walker raid results in thedeath of three abolitionists who are killedwhen they attempt to rescue slaves at the

DECEM-

South Carolina becomes the firststate to secede from the Union.DECEMBER

REBECCA MARTIN is the assistant director of the Kansas Muse-um of History. She is the project manager for the museum’sspecial Kansas Territorial exhibit Willing to Die for Freedom.For more information about the exhibit, turn to page 26 in thisissue; phone 785-272-8681, ext. 426; or check the website atwww.kshs.org.

Julia BushmanStinson, partShawnee and wifeof Thomas Stin-son. The Stinsons,slave ownersthemselves, op-erated a tradingpost at Tecumsehthat served bothproslavery andfree-state advo-cates. At the out-break of the Civil

K H