Eleanor Finch
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in 1857 by Southern pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks, and it added to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War. The document was written in response to the 1855 anti-slavery Topeka Constitution and was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The Lecompton Constitution was approved in a rigged election in December 1857 but 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 highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates. The debate over the proposed constitution also divided the Democratic Party, with Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, siding with the Republicans in opposition to the constitution. This split in the Democratic Party would ultimately contribute to Abraham Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1857 |
| Place | Lecompton, Kansas |
| Purpose | To protect the institution of slavery |
| Authors | Pro-slavery advocates |
| Context | Kansas Territory's path to statehood |
| Preceded by | Topeka Constitution |
| Followed by | Leavenworth and Wyandotte Constitutions |
| Voting issues | Fraudulent practices, Boycotts |
| Political impact | Divided the Democratic Party |
| Outcome | Rejected in January 1858 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Lecompton Constitution was pro-slavery
The Lecompton Constitution was a strongly pro-slavery document. It was drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution, which would have effectively banned slavery in Kansas.
The Lecompton Constitution contained several clauses that protected the rights of slave owners and excluded free Black people from the state. Article 7 of the constitution stated that 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". This article also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The constitution also prohibited any amendment to it for a period of seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years. It left the question of whether new slaves could be brought into the territory to the voters. The pro-slavery constitutional convention claimed the right to call for a vote on this issue and to turn over the power of the territorial governor and legislature to the president of the constitutional convention.
The Lecompton Constitution was endorsed by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, who supported slavery and believed it was necessary to preserve the Union. However, the constitution was opposed by many Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, who sided with the Republicans in rejecting it. The Kansas statehood bill, which included the Lecompton Constitution, passed the Senate in March 1858, but it was overwhelmingly rejected by Kansas voters in a referendum in January 1858. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state in January 1861.
Email Reporting: Workplace Injury in NY
You may want to see also
It was drafted by pro-slavery advocates
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state of Kansas. It was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution of James H. Lane and other free-state advocates. The document was drafted by a territorial legislature that, due to widespread electoral fraud, mainly consisted of enslavers.
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was drafted in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857, and was strongly pro-slavery. It included clauses that protected the right to enslaved "property" and prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The constitution also prohibited any amendment for a period of seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years. It excluded free blacks from entering the state and guaranteed slaveholders their property rights for the approximately 200 slaves and their descendants residing in the territory. The constitution left it to voters to decide if new slaves could be brought into the territory.
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Kansas voters in a referendum on January 4, 1858, by a vote of 10,226 to 138. Despite this, President James Buchanan, a pro-slavery Southern Democrat, continued to support the constitution and recommended statehood for Kansas under its provisions. The admission of Kansas with the Lecompton Constitution was rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858, further dividing the Democratic Party and building the Republican base.
Drug Use and Alimony: A Spouse's Plight in Georgia
You may want to see also
It was never enforced
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 Black people from its bill of rights. It was strongly supported by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat. However, the constitution was never enforced due to widespread opposition and rejection by the people of Kansas and Congress.
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions for Kansas. It was drafted in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The territorial legislature, dominated by enslavers due to electoral fraud, met in Lecompton in September 1857 to produce a rival document. The Free-State supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote.
The Lecompton Constitution was initially approved in a rigged election in December 1857. However, it was overwhelmingly defeated in a second vote in January 1858 by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. The rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates.
Despite President Buchanan's endorsement, the Lecompton Constitution faced strong opposition from Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, and the budding Republican Party. Douglas and the Republicans sided with the Free-State supporters in Kansas and exposed the voter fraud behind the Lecompton Constitution, forcing a new referendum.
In January 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a vote of 10,226 to 138. This rejection further fractured the Democratic Party, with Northern and Southern wings emerging in the 1860 presidential election. The mounting division among Democrats allowed the Free-Staters in Kansas to gain support and ultimately led to the election of Abraham Lincoln.
In conclusion, while the Lecompton Constitution was initially approved through fraudulent means, it was never enforced due to widespread opposition and rejection by the people of Kansas and Congress. The controversy surrounding the constitution highlighted the deep divisions in the country over slavery and contributed to the growing sectionalism that led to the US Civil War.
Colonial Constitutions: Did Each Colony Draft Their Own?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It was rejected by Kansas voters
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 black people from its bill of rights. It was approved in a rigged election in December 1857, but this approval was short-lived. On January 4, 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution in a referendum by a vote of 10,226 to 138. This decisive margin suggested that Free-State supporters far outnumbered pro-slavery advocates in Kansas, and that the Lecompton Constitution's initial popularity was due to fraudulent voting practices.
The referendum offered voters a 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, which many deemed unenforceable. As a result, Free-Staters boycotted the referendum, leading to serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution by Kansas voters was a significant moment in the state's history and highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates. The subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state into the Union in 1861 further emphasised the divide between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the country.
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The first was the Topeka Constitution, drafted in 1855 by Free-State supporters, which would have effectively banned slavery in Kansas. The Lecompton Constitution was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the Topeka Constitution. Despite the efforts of pro-slavery advocates, including President James Buchanan, who endorsed the Lecompton Constitution, Kansas ultimately entered the Union as a free state.
The debate over the Lecompton Constitution had far-reaching consequences, including the fracturing of the Democratic Party. The mounting division among Democrats allowed the Free-Staters in Kansas, with the support of the budding Republican Party, to expose the voter fraud behind Lecompton and force a new referendum. This split in the Democratic Party contributed to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, as the party ran two sectional candidates, unable to unite behind a single candidate.
The Constitution and Political Parties: System Established?
You may want to see also
It led to the Democratic Party splitting
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 black people from its bill of rights. It was strongly supported by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, despite the fact that it lacked true popular sovereignty and was approved in a rigged election.
The debate over the Lecompton Constitution exposed and widened the divide between Northern and Southern Democrats, ultimately leading to a split in the party. Many Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, opposed the constitution and sided with the Republicans, while Southern Democrats supported it. This divide was further exacerbated by Douglas's break with the party, which was seen as a betrayal by Southerners.
The Lecompton Constitution was overwhelmingly rejected by Kansas voters in a referendum on January 4, 1858, with a vote of 10,226 to 138. This rejection highlighted the fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates. The admission of Kansas as a free state to the Union was also rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858.
The Democratic Party was unable to unite behind a single candidate in the 1860 presidential election due to the split caused by the Lecompton Constitution. The party ran two sectional candidates: Stephen Douglas as the Northern Democrat candidate and John C. Breckenridge as the Southern Democrat candidate. This division allowed Abraham Lincoln to win the election, which served as the catalyst for the secession of the lower South states.
In conclusion, the Lecompton Constitution exposed and widened the divide between Northern and Southern Democrats, ultimately leading to a split in the party that had significant consequences for the country's political landscape and the lead-up to the Civil War.
Executive Leadership: Chief's Role and Responsibilities
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas, drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates. It was named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas, where it was written.
The Lecompton Constitution was highly controversial as it was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. It prohibited any amendment for seven years and excluded free black people from entering the state. It also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. This caused a divide between those who supported slavery and those who opposed it, with the latter boycotting the vote. The debate over the Lecompton Constitution also divided the Democratic Party, with Northern Democrats opposing it and Southern Democrats supporting it.
The Lecompton Constitution was initially approved in a rigged election in December 1857 but was overwhelmingly defeated in a second vote in January 1858 by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. Kansas voters rejected the constitution by a vote of 10,226 to 138. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861.
