Simone Lawson
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was drafted in 1857 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. The Lecompton Constitution was strongly opposed by many, including Senator Stephen Douglass, who felt it violated popular sovereignty. Despite this, President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, believing that slavery was necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. Buchanan's support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, and it was ultimately rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Buchanan's opinion of the Lecompton Constitution | Buchanan supported the Lecompton Constitution and demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. |
| His reason for supporting the constitution | Buchanan believed that enslaver rights were necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. |
| Opposition to his stance | Many opposed Buchanan's stance, including his appointee as territorial governor of Kansas, Robert J. Walker, who resigned rather than implement it. |
| Result of the vote | The Lecompton Constitution was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in Kansas in January 1858, and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state. |
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What You'll Learn
Buchanan's unwavering support for the Lecompton Constitution
President James Buchanan supported the Lecompton Constitution, a pro-slavery constitution drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates in Lecompton, Kansas. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution.
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It included provisions to protect slavery in the state and to exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights. It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
Despite the clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, Buchanan demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. He believed that slavery was necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution never wavered, even when it became clear that it would cost him the support of many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt the constitution violated popular sovereignty.
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The impact of the Dred Scott decision
The Dred Scott decision was a ruling by the United States Supreme Court in March 1857 on the case of Scott v. Sandford, which involved a Missouri slave, Dred Scott, suing for his freedom. The decision declared that Scott was still a slave and made controversial rulings on the Missouri Compromise, the citizenship of Black Americans, and the legislative rights of Congress in the territories.
The ruling widened the divide between the North and the South, intensifying sectional tensions over slavery. While it was celebrated in the South, many Northern courts and politicians rejected the decision as binding. The North-South divide within the Democratic Party became particularly evident, with Northern Democrats siding with the Republicans in opposition to the Lecompton Constitution, which was seen as a direct result of the Dred Scott decision and an attempt to expand slavery. This rift ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.
The Dred Scott decision also had political ramifications. It weakened the presidential hopes of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who opposed the Lecompton Constitution as a fraud and broke with President Buchanan over the issue. On the other hand, it helped promote the future presidency of Abraham Lincoln, whose formula on slavery inspired moral comfort without imposing obligations. Lincoln's stance on containing slavery in the South while refraining from agitation in the North appealed to both sides and contributed to his eventual election.
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The Kansas statehood bill
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 required people to decide on the issue of slavery through their vote for a constitution for any new territory that desired statehood. This led to a series of events in Kansas and Missouri that culminated in violence and became known as "Bleeding Kansas".
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. Named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas, where it was drafted, it was strongly pro-slavery. It was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state and to exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights.
Despite the clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. His support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt this constitution violated popular sovereignty. Douglas broke with Buchanan and joined with the Republicans in trying to block the Kansas statehood bill.
A joint House-Senate Committee broke the stalemate when they adopted the English Bill, which proposed that the Lecompton Constitution be sent back to Kansas to be voted on again. On August 2, 1858, the people of Kansas rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a six-to-one margin. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861.
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The role of Robert J. Walker
In his quest to get Kansas admitted into the Union, President James Buchanan appointed Senator Robert J. Walker, a strong defender of slavery, as the territorial governor of Kansas. Walker agreed on the condition that any constitution written must be voted on entirely by all the residents of Kansas, which Buchanan approved.
Prior to Walker's arrival in Kansas, the pro-slavery territorial legislature called for a constitutional convention to be held in Lecompton, Kansas, in September 1857. Free-state men refused to participate in the June 1857 election for convention delegates as they believed pro-slavery influences and fraud tainted the election. Consequently, pro-slavery delegates dominated the constitutional convention. However, the Lecompton Convention waited to act until after the territorial legislative vote in October, which the pro-slavery forces initially won.
Acting in accordance with the existing Lecompton legislature, Territorial Governor Robert J. Walker declared the charter of the Free-State city of Lawrence, Kansas, legally invalid and the city to be in rebellion. Walker's intervention infuriated the pro-slavery settlers, and his relationship with them never recovered. Alienated from both factions and frustrated over the lack of progress, Walker left Kansas in mid-November 1857, never to return.
Fresh off his resignation, Walker warned Buchanan that the Lecompton Constitution did not fulfill the promise of popular sovereignty and that blood may be shed over it. Despite these objections, Buchanan’s support for the Lecompton Constitution never wavered, and it became increasingly clear that he would stake his administration on the passage of Kansas statehood bill under this document.
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The response from Congress
The Lecompton Constitution, drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, was a strongly pro-slavery document. It was written by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state of Kansas and exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights. The constitution stated that slavery was a matter of "property" and prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
In his message to Congress on February 2, 1858, President Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution and asked Congress to admit Kansas as a slave state. Buchanan's support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, including Senator Stephen Douglas, who felt it violated popular sovereignty. Douglas and other Northern Democrats sided with the Republicans in opposing the constitution.
The Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25. However, in the House of Representatives, Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans successfully blocked the passage of the bill by a vote of 120-112, causing a stalemate. Anti-Lecompton Democrats offered a compromise to break the stalemate, suggesting they would vote in favour of the statehood bill if Kansans could amend their constitution at any time. Buchanan rejected this deal for unknown reasons.
Ultimately, a joint House-Senate Committee broke the stalemate by adopting the English Bill, proposed by Representative William English. The English Bill proposed that the Lecompton Constitution be sent back to Kansas for another vote. On August 2, 1858, the people of Kansas rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a significant margin, and Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. Named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas, where it was drafted, it was strongly pro-slavery. It enshrined slavery in the proposed state and protected the rights of enslavers.
President James Buchanan supported the Lecompton Constitution. He endorsed it before Congress and asked them to admit Kansas as a slave state. His support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt this constitution violated popular sovereignty.
President Buchanan supported the Lecompton Constitution because he was a vocal supporter of enslaver rights, which he believed were necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union.
