Eleanor Finch
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The document contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks. The Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858, but President James Buchanan recommended statehood for Kansas under its provisions. Congress rejected this, and a compromise was offered, calling for the constitution to be sent back to Kansas for a revote. Kansas again rejected the Lecompton Constitution in August 1858 and was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861. The crisis over the Lecompton Constitution further fractured the Democratic Party and was critical to the coming of the US Civil War.
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What You'll Learn
- The Lecompton Constitution was framed by pro-slavery advocates
- It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and slave owners' rights
- It excluded free Black people from its bill of rights
- It was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858
- The debate over the constitution fractured the Democratic Party
The Lecompton Constitution was framed by pro-slavery advocates
Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, and the majority of delegates elected to write the Lecompton Constitution were pro-slavery. The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It included clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks. It also added to the frictions leading up to the US Civil War. The 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.
Article 7 of the Lecompton Constitution protected the right to enslaved "property". It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. The document also included sections detailing how slaves should be treated and punished for crimes. The Lecompton Constitution was endorsed by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat. He supported Southern enslavers' rights, which he believed were necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. However, the constitution was opposed by many Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, who sided with the Republicans in opposition.
Despite the opposition, Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution never wavered, and he staked his administration on the passage of the Kansas statehood bill under this document. In March 1858, anti-Lecompton Democrats offered Buchanan a compromise to break the stalemate. They would vote in favour of the statehood bill on the condition that Kansans could amend their constitution at any time and not wait the seven years stipulated. For an unknown reason, Buchanan rejected this deal. A joint House-Senate Committee broke the stalemate when they adopted the English Bill, proposed by Representative William English, which proposed that the Lecompton Constitution be sent back to Kansas to be voted on again. On August 2, 1858, Kansans overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution, and Kansas remained a territory until 1861 when it was admitted as a free state.
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It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and slave owners' rights
The Lecompton Constitution, drafted in 1857, was a proposed constitution for the state of Kansas, which at the time was a hotly contested battleground between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. The document was named after the city of Lecompton, Kansas, which served as the territorial capital and was a center of pro-slavery sentiment. One of the most significant aspects of the Lecompton Constitution was its strong protection of slaveholding and the rights of slave owners. This pro-slavery stance was a direct response to the earlier Topeka Constitution, drafted by anti-slavery forces in Kansas. The Topeka Constitution, never recognized by the federal government, prohibited slavery in the state. In response, pro-slavery settlers in Kansas pushed for a constitution that would not only allow but also actively protect slavery.
The Lecompton Constitution contained several clauses that explicitly safeguarded slaveholding and granted extensive rights to slave owners. These provisions ensured that slavery would remain legal and firmly entrenched in Kansas. One of the key clauses guaranteed the right of slave owners to retain their slaves even if they brought them into free territories or states. This meant that slave owners could travel or relocate with their slaves without fear of losing their "property." Another clause ensured that any escaped slaves would be returned to their owners, with penalties imposed on anyone who aided or abetted fugitive slaves. This made it extremely difficult for slaves to escape and seek freedom, as they could be pursued and recaptured even outside of Kansas.
The constitution also included provisions that restricted the rights of African Americans, both free and enslaved. It denied African Americans the right to vote, hold office, or serve on juries, effectively excluding them from the political process and ensuring that the government would be controlled by white slaveholders. Additionally, the Lecompton Constitution established a system of slave codes, which regulated the behavior and treatment of slaves, often in ways that benefited slave owners. These codes restricted the assembly and movement of slaves, making it easier for owners to control and manage their slave labor.
Another significant aspect was the establishment of a slave code that regulated and governed the treatment of slaves. This code ensured that slaves would remain under the firm control of their owners and provided for harsh penalties for any slave who rebelled or attempted to escape. The slave code also outlined the process for returning fugitive slaves to their owners, further protecting the rights and interests of slaveholders. By enshrining these protections into the state's constitution, the drafters of the Lecompton Constitution sought to make Kansas a safe haven for slavery and a place where slave owners could exert significant political and economic power.
The Lecompton Constitution's strong pro-slavery stance had far-reaching implications and played a crucial role in the national debate over slavery. It highlighted the deep divisions between the North and the South and intensified the conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. The controversy surrounding the Lecompton Constitution also had significant political consequences, influencing the policies and actions of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Ultimately, the Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Congress, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861, following the approval of the anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution. Nonetheless, the debate surrounding the Lecompton Constitution underscored the centrality of slavery as a contentious issue in the lead-up to the Civil War.
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It excluded free Black people from its bill of rights
The Lecompton Constitution was a document framed in Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights that excluded free Black people. This exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights was a significant aspect of the Lecompton Constitution and had far-reaching implications.
The exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights in the Lecompton Constitution was part of a broader effort to protect and entrench slavery in the state of Kansas. The constitution was drafted in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution and was intended to safeguard the institution of slavery. It included provisions that explicitly protected the right to own slaves and prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their owners' consent and compensation. This exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights was a clear indication of the constitution's pro-slavery stance and the lack of consideration for the rights and freedoms of Black individuals in Kansas.
The bill of rights in a constitution is meant to outline the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to the citizens of a state. By excluding free Black people from this bill of rights, the Lecompton Constitution effectively denied them the same rights and protections afforded to others. This exclusion could have had wide-ranging consequences, including the potential denial of access to education, employment, property ownership, and other basic civil rights for free Black individuals in Kansas. It also symbolized the dehumanization and marginalization of Black people, reinforcing their status as second-class citizens, even if they were legally free.
The exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights in the Lecompton Constitution also had broader implications for the political landscape of the time. It became a contentious issue that further divided the Democratic Party, with some members, like Senator Stephen Douglas, vehemently opposing the constitution due to its lack of popular sovereignty. The controversy surrounding this exclusion contributed to the party's fracture and had a significant impact on the Election of 1860, where the Democrats ran two sectional candidates, reflecting the deep rift between Northern and Southern factions within the party.
Additionally, the exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights in the Lecompton Constitution added to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War. The constitution's rejection in a territorial election in January 1858 highlighted the deep divisions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas and across the country. The debate over slavery and the rights of free Black people intensified, and the failure to reach a compromise contributed to the growing rift between the North and the South, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
In conclusion, the exclusion of free Black people from the bill of rights in the Lecompton Constitution was a significant aspect of the document that had far-reaching consequences. It symbolized the denial of basic rights and freedoms for free Black individuals, exacerbated political divisions, and contributed to the tensions leading up to the Civil War. The Lecompton Constitution's rejection in 1858 ultimately paved the way for Kansas's admission to the Union as a free state, marking a pivotal moment in the struggle for equality and justice for all Americans.
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It was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The territorial legislature, which consisted mostly of enslavers due to widespread electoral fraud, met in Lecompton in September 1857 to produce a rival document.
Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, resulting in the election of a pro-slavery convention. When only a pro-slavery constitution was presented to voters, the anti-slavery faction again refused to participate in the election, and the pro-slavery constitution was sent to President James Buchanan for congressional approval.
However, the Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858. In this election, Kansas voters had the opportunity to reject the constitution altogether in a referendum, and they did so overwhelmingly by a vote of 10,226 to 138. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier elections, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
The anti-slavery faction's boycott of the initial vote and their overwhelming rejection of the constitution in the January 1858 referendum demonstrated their strong opposition to the Lecompton Constitution and their desire for Kansas to become a free state. The rejection also revealed the deep divisions in Kansas along pro-slavery and anti-slavery lines, with large numbers of settlers rushing into the territory to influence the state's constitution.
Following the rejection of the Lecompton Constitution, a new referendum was proposed, and a new anti-slavery constitution, the Leavenworth Constitution, was drafted. The crisis over the Lecompton Constitution further fractured the Democratic Party and had significant consequences for the 1860 election, with Southerners feeling betrayed by Senator Stephen Douglas's opposition to the Lecompton Constitution.
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The debate over the constitution fractured the Democratic Party
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 strongly opposed by anti-slavery supporters, who boycotted the vote, resulting in the election of a pro-slavery convention.
The debate over the Lecompton Constitution centred on the issue of slavery and popular sovereignty. The document was endorsed by President James Buchanan, a pro-slavery Southern Democrat, despite widespread voting fraud and irregularities. Buchanan's support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, including Senator Stephen Douglas, who felt it violated the principle of popular sovereignty. Douglas's break with the party had significant consequences, with Southerners feeling betrayed and blacklisting him. This split in the Democratic Party contributed to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, as the party ran two sectional candidates, further highlighting the divisions within the party.
The Lecompton Constitution was ultimately rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858, with a decisive margin suggesting that anti-slavery supporters outnumbered pro-slavery advocates. Kansas was later admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861, after approving the similar anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution in 1859.
The crisis over the Lecompton Constitution further fractured the Democratic Party, with Northern and Southern Democrats deeply divided along pro- and anti-slavery lines. The debate over the constitution exposed the ideological rift within the party, with some prioritising popular sovereignty and others supporting states' rights and slavery.
In conclusion, the Lecompton Constitution debate revealed the growing tensions within the Democratic Party, which had been building since the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The issue of slavery and states' rights proved to be a divisive force, with the party unable to reconcile its Northern and Southern factions. The fracture contributed to the election of Abraham Lincoln and had significant repercussions for the country's political landscape, setting the stage for the impending Civil War.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood.
The Lecompton Constitution contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free Black people. It also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The Lecompton Constitution was important because it added to the frictions leading up to the US Civil War. The debate over the proposed constitution also ripped apart the Democratic Party.
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858 and again in August 1858. Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861.
