Simone Lawson
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas and was intended to protect the institution of slavery. The document was drafted in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution was approved in a rigged election in December 1857, but it was overwhelmingly rejected in a second vote in January 1858. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution and the subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state in 1861 highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts. While the crisis over the Lecompton Constitution did not directly cause the Civil War, it added to the frictions leading up to it and the political fallout was critical to the war's coming.
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What You'll Learn
- The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document
- It was drafted in 1857 in response to the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution
- The voting process was marred by fraud and boycotts
- The constitution was rejected in 1858, highlighting voting irregularities
- The political fallout from the Lecompton Constitution was a critical step towards the Civil War
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document
The Lecompton Constitution contained clauses protecting the rights of slave owners and preventing the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. It enshrined the right to "property", placing the rights of slave owners above any constitutional sanction:
> "SECTION 1. The right of property is before and higher than any constitutional sanction, and the right of the owner of a slave to such slave and its increase is the same and as inviolable as the right of the owner of any property whatever."
The constitution also provided for a referendum on whether to allow more enslaved people into the territory. The ballot offered voters the choice between a "Constitution with Slavery" and a "Constitution with no Slavery". However, the ""Constitution with no Slavery" clause would not have made Kansas a free state; it would have only banned the future importation of enslaved people into Kansas. This was deemed unenforceable by many, and the referendum suffered from serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
The Lecompton Constitution was overwhelmingly rejected by Kansas voters in a referendum on January 4, 1858, by a vote of 10,226 to 138. Despite this, President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, receiving the support of Southern Democrats. The admission of Kansas with the Lecompton Constitution was rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861.
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It was drafted in 1857 in response to the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 in response to the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution. The Topeka Constitution was proposed in December 1855 by Free-Staters, led by former Indiana Congressman James H. Lane. It would have effectively banned slavery in Kansas. In response, pro-slavery advocates drafted the Lecompton Constitution, which included provisions to protect slavery in the state and exclude free Black people from its bill of rights.
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by a territorial legislature that, due to widespread electoral fraud, mainly consisted of enslavers. It was written in the designated capital of Lecompton in September 1857. Free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote. The document enshrined slavery in the proposed state and protected the rights of slave owners. It also provided for a referendum on whether to allow more enslaved people into the territory.
The Topeka and Lecompton constitutions were both placed before the people of the Kansas Territory for a vote, and supporters of the opposing factions boycotted both votes. The Lecompton vote was boiled down to a single issue: "Constitution with Slavery" vs. "Constitution with no Slavery". However, the "Constitution with no Slavery" clause would not have made Kansas a free state; it would have banned the future importation of enslaved people into Kansas. This was deemed unenforceable by many. The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent. Nevertheless, both constitutions were sent to Washington for approval by Congress.
The Lecompton Constitution was strongly pro-slavery and included clauses protecting slaveholding. It was approved in a rigged election in December 1857, but it was overwhelmingly defeated in a second vote in January 1858 by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution and the subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts to create a state constitution in Kansas that allowed slavery.
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The voting process was marred by fraud and boycotts
The voting process for the Lecompton Constitution was fraught with fraud and boycotts, which ultimately led to its rejection and the admission of Kansas as a free state.
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery and exclude free Black people from its bill of rights. The voting process for this constitution was marred by widespread voter fraud and boycotts, which influenced the outcome. Pro-slavery Missourians crossed the border to stuff ballot boxes and intimidate voters, leading to a predominantly pro-slavery legislature. This fraudulent voting practice was enabled by President Franklin Pierce, who supported Lecompton and denounced the rival Topeka Constitution.
Free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote as they believed it to be tainted by pro-slavery influences and fraud. This boycott, combined with illegal voting practices, allowed the pro-slavery document to pass easily. The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
In January 1858, Kansas voters had the opportunity to reject the constitution altogether in a referendum. They overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a vote of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that the previous approval of Lecompton was a result of fraudulent voting practices. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had occurred.
The political fallout from the Lecompton Constitution was significant, and it contributed to the growing tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the lead-up to the US Civil War. The debate over the constitution also divided the Democratic Party, with Northern Democrats siding with the Republicans in opposition to the constitution.
While the Lecompton Constitution did not directly cause the Civil War, it added to the frictions and highlighted the deep divisions within the country. The voting process, marred by fraud and boycotts, demonstrated the lengths to which both sides were willing to go to shape the future of Kansas and the nation.
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The constitution was rejected in 1858, highlighting voting irregularities
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state of Kansas and to exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights. It was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state, and it never went into effect. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution.
The Lecompton Constitution was approved in a rigged election in December 1857, but it was overwhelmingly defeated in a second vote in January 1858 by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates. The vote was boycotted by free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, and it was marred by violence and coercion at the polls, with pro-slavery Missourians crossing the border to cast their ballots and intimidate voters.
The referendum offered voters the choice between a "Constitution with Slavery" and a "Constitution with no Slavery". However, this did not represent a true anti-slavery choice, as even if the latter option was approved, it would still allow the continued enslavement of those currently held in bondage and their descendants. The Free-State men refused to participate in the election, believing that pro-slavery influences and fraud tainted the process. As a result, pro-slavery delegates dominated the constitutional convention.
The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution in 1858 exposed the voting irregularities and fraudulent practices that had been employed to secure its initial approval. This highlighted the deep divisions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas and the lengths to which some would go to shape the future of the state. The constitution's defeat was a significant setback for pro-slavery advocates and a victory for those seeking to ban slavery in Kansas.
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The political fallout from the Lecompton Constitution was a critical step towards the Civil War
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state of Kansas and excluded free people of colour from its bill of rights. It was one of four proposed constitutions for Kansas, which was on the path to statehood following the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The Act allowed voters in the western territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery, leading to a rush of ideologically inspired Northern and Southern migrants hoping to shape the future of the West.
The Lecompton Constitution was highly controversial, and its rejection by Kansas voters in January 1858 highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier elections. The political fallout from this was a critical step towards the Civil War. The debate over the Lecompton Constitution divided the Democratic Party, with Southern Democrats supporting President James Buchanan's endorsement of the pro-slavery constitution, and many Northern Democrats siding with the Republicans in opposition.
The crisis over the Lecompton Constitution also contributed to the political rise of Abraham Lincoln. The Democratic Party was unable to nominate a presidential candidate in 1860 due to the divisions between its northern and southern wings. This allowed Lincoln to win the 1860 election, which further inflamed sectional tensions and led to South Carolina becoming the first state to secede from the Union in December of that year.
In addition, the Lecompton Constitution highlighted the issue of fraudulent voting practices and the role of ""border ruffians" from Missouri in influencing the elections in Kansas. This issue of electoral fraud was used as political ammunition by the Republicans against the Democrats, further damaging the reputation of the party and contributing to the political polarisation of the country.
Finally, the failure of the Lecompton Constitution and the subsequent admission of Kansas as a free state in 1861 added to the frictions leading up to the Civil War. The rejection of the pro-slavery constitution by Kansas voters and the admission of Kansas as a free state highlighted the deep divisions in the country over the issue of slavery and the inability of political compromise to resolve these differences.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas.
The Lecompton Constitution did not directly cause the Civil War. However, it added to the frictions leading up to it. The political fallout that followed was critical to the war’s coming. The debate over the Lecompton Constitution divided the Democratic Party and led to Abraham Lincoln winning the 1860 election.
The Lecompton Constitution contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free Black people. It enshrined the right to enslaved "property" and prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
Kansas Territory was flooded with ideologically inspired Northern and Southern migrants, who hoped to shape the future of the West. Kansas was important because it would determine whether slavery would be permitted to expand into new territories.
