Isabella Carter
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state and exclude free Black people from its bill of rights. 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 was overwhelmingly defeated in a second vote in January 1858, highlighting the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts. Despite this, President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, causing many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, to join Republicans in opposing it.
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What You'll Learn
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document
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 included provisions to protect slavery and slave owners' rights, excluding free people of colour from its bill of rights. It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their owners' consent and compensation. It also prohibited free blacks from entering the state.
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. The rejection highlighted the fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery supporters. Despite this, President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, believing in the necessity of slavery to preserve the Union.
The battle over Kansas statehood continued, with Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans blocking the passage of the bill in the House. Kansas voters were given another opportunity to reject the constitution altogether in a referendum, which they did by a wide margin, demonstrating the strength of the Free-State supporters. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861, after the approval of the similar anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution.
The Lecompton Constitution, with its pro-slavery provisions, added to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War. It represented a significant moment in the struggle between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas, highlighting the deep divisions and the breakdown of popular sovereignty in the territory.
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It was drafted in response to the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in direct response to the anti-slavery stance of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Topeka Constitution was the first of four proposed state constitutions for Kansas, and it was drafted by free-state advocates, including James H. Lane.
The Lecompton Constitution, on the other hand, was written by pro-slavery advocates to protect slavery in the state and exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights. It was the second of the four proposed constitutions and was drafted in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857. The document was created by the territorial legislature, which, due to widespread electoral fraud, was primarily composed of enslavers.
The free-state supporters boycotted the vote on the Lecompton Constitution. This boycott, along with fraudulent voting practices, contributed to the initial approval of the Lecompton Constitution in a rigged election in December 1857. However, when a second vote was held in January 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution, demonstrating their support for a free state.
The battle over Kansas statehood continued, with President James Buchanan endorsing the Lecompton Constitution before Congress and alienating many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who believed the constitution violated popular sovereignty. Despite the opposition, the Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate in March 1858. However, Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans in the House blocked the bill, resulting in a stalemate.
The controversy surrounding the Lecompton Constitution highlighted the deep divisions in Kansas Territory along pro- and anti-slavery lines and added to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War.
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It was rejected in a January 1858 territorial election
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 the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution.
The Lecompton Constitution was initially approved in a rigged election in December 1857. However, this was followed by a second vote in January 1858, in which the constitution was overwhelmingly rejected by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier elections. The voters in the January 1858 election were given the choice between a ""Constitution with Slavery" and a "Constitution with no Slavery". The latter option would not have made Kansas a free state but would have banned the future importation of enslaved people into the state.
The Lecompton Constitution was strongly supported by President James Buchanan, who believed that slavery was necessary to preserve the Union. However, many Northern Democrats, including Stephen A. Douglas, sided with the Republicans in opposing the constitution. Despite the clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, Buchanan demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. This stance alienated many Democrats and indicated the growing difficulty of justifying slavery to northern constituents.
The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution in the January 1858 election was a significant step towards Kansas becoming a free state. The subsequent admittance of Kansas to the Union as a free state further emphasised the fraudulent nature of earlier voting practices.
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It was endorsed by President James Buchanan
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. It included provisions to protect slavery in the state and excluded free Black people from its bill of rights. The constitution also prohibited any amendments for seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years.
Despite the fraudulent voting practices that enabled the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, endorsed the document. He believed that supporting enslaver rights was necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. Buchanan's appointee as territorial governor of Kansas, Robert J. Walker, a strong defender of slavery, opposed the blatant injustice of the constitution and resigned rather than implement it.
Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution never wavered, and he demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. His position on the issue alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt that the constitution violated popular sovereignty. Douglas, a senator and the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, broke with Buchanan and joined the Republicans in trying to block the Kansas statehood bill.
In February 1858, Buchanan addressed Congress on the Lecompton Constitution, and despite the clear majority opposing it, he continued to push for its approval. When anti-Lecompton Democrats offered a compromise that would have allowed Kansas to amend its constitution at any time, Buchanan rejected the deal for reasons that remain unknown.
Kansas voters ultimately rejected the Lecompton Constitution in a January 1858 election, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861.
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Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution included provisions to protect slavery in the state and excluded free Black people from its bill of rights. It also prohibited any amendments to be made to the constitution for a period of seven years.
The Lecompton Constitution was initially 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. Despite the clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan, a pro-slavery Southern Democrat, demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt it violated the principle of popular sovereignty.
Douglas and the Republicans successfully blocked the passage of the Kansas statehood bill in the House, causing a stalemate. A compromise was offered, calling for the resubmission of the constitution to the territory's voters. Kansas voters rejected the Lecompton Constitution once again in August 1858. Despite the rejection of the Lecompton Constitution, Kansas's path to statehood was not yet clear. The state's admission to the Union was delayed by the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
Finally, in early 1861, the anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution was approved, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state. The admission of Kansas as a free state highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery advocates to shape the state's constitution. Kansas's admission as a free state also represented a victory for popular sovereignty and a rejection of the efforts by President Buchanan and pro-slavery elements to enforce slavery in the state.
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Frequently asked questions
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 and exclude free black people from its bill of rights.
The Lecompton Constitution was met with opposition from free-state supporters, who boycotted the vote. It was also rejected by Robert J. Walker, President James Buchanan's appointee as territorial governor of Kansas, who resigned rather than implement it. Despite this, President Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, causing many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, to side with the Republicans in opposition.
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 was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state in January 1861, after the approval of the similar anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution in July 1859.
