Simone Lawson
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. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution was boycotted by free-state supporters, and a referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent. Despite this, it was sent to Congress for approval, where it was endorsed by President James Buchanan. However, the Kansas statehood bill faced opposition from many Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, who felt it violated popular sovereignty. Ultimately, Kansas voters rejected the Lecompton Constitution in January 1858 and were admitted to the Union as a free state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1857 |
| Place | Lecompton, Kansas |
| Type | Pro-slavery state constitution |
| Provisions | Protected slavery and slaveholders' rights; excluded free Black people |
| Article 7 | Protected the right to enslaved "property" |
| Prevented | Legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation |
| Referendum | On whether to allow more enslaved people into the territory |
| Ballot options | "Constitution with Slavery" or "Constitution with no Slavery" |
| Voting irregularities | Over half of the 6,000 votes were deemed fraudulent |
| Support | President James Buchanan, Southern Democrats |
| Opposition | Northern Democrats, Republicans, Stephen A. Douglas |
| Outcome | Rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858; Kansas admitted to the Union as a free state |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted during a period of intense political division in Kansas Territory between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. The pro-slavery territorial legislature, dominated by enslavers due to widespread electoral fraud, met in Lecompton in September 1857 to draft a rival document to the Topeka Constitution. Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, believing that the election was tainted by pro-slavery influences and fraud. As a result, the Lecompton Constitutional Convention was dominated by pro-slavery delegates.
The Lecompton Constitution prohibited any amendments to the document for a period of seven years and included a requirement that governors must be citizens for at least 20 years. It left the question of whether new slaves could be brought into the territory to a referendum of voters, who were presented with a choice between a "`Constitution with Slavery`" and a "Constitution with no Slavery". However, the "`Constitution with no Slavery`" option would not have made Kansas a free state, but merely banned the future importation of enslaved people.
Despite the fraudulent voting practices that enabled the Lecompton Constitution, it gained the endorsement of President James Buchanan, a pro-slavery Southern Democrat. Buchanan's support for the constitution alienated many Democrats, particularly Northern Democrats, who felt it violated the principle of popular sovereignty. This divide within the Democratic Party ultimately contributed to the party's split in the 1860 presidential election.
Capitalizing "Constitution": A Guide to Proper Noun Usage
You may want to see also
It was pro-slavery and protected slave-owning as a right
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state of Kansas. It was named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas, where it was drafted. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution was strongly pro-slavery and included clauses that protected the right to enslaved "property". It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. It also excluded free black people from its bill of rights and prohibited them from entering the state.
The Lecompton Constitution was the result of a long and contentious process that began with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed people to decide on the issue of slavery through their vote for a constitution for any new territory seeking statehood. This led to a series of events in Kansas and Missouri that became known as "Bleeding Kansas" and was a prelude to the Civil War. The territorial legislature, which was primarily composed of enslavers due to widespread electoral fraud, met in Lecompton in September 1857 to draft a rival document to the Topeka Constitution. Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, and the Lecompton Constitution was initially approved in a rigged election in December 1857.
The Lecompton Constitution was strongly opposed by free-state advocates, who argued that it violated the principle of popular sovereignty by not allowing voters to reject the constitution entirely. Despite these objections, President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, endorsed the document before Congress. Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution alienated many Democrats, including Senator Stephen Douglas, who felt that the constitution lacked true popular sovereignty. Douglas and other Northern Democrats joined with the Republicans in trying to block the Kansas statehood bill.
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 the Lecompton Constitution and force a new referendum. In January 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution, highlighting the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by pro-slavery supporters. Despite this clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, Buchanan continued to demand that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. However, Congress balked, and Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state in January 1859.
The Constitution's Many Accusations: A Comprehensive Overview
You may want to see also
It was rejected in a vote in January 1858
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a vote in January 1858. This vote was the culmination of a series of events that began with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which required people to decide on the issue of slavery through their vote for a constitution for any new territory that desired statehood. This act led to a wave of ideologically driven migration to Kansas Territory, with both Northerners and Southerners hoping to shape the future of the West. The Free-State and pro-slavery factions quickly moved to define the path to statehood through legislative conventions, where state constitutions could be constructed.
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. 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 territorial legislature, which, due to widespread electoral fraud, mainly consisted of enslavers, met at the designated capital of Lecompton in September 1857 to produce a rival document. Free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote. The Lecompton Constitution prohibited any amendment for a period of seven years and prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The referendum on the Lecompton Constitution was controversial because it did not offer voters the option to reject the constitution entirely, which would have been the true anti-slavery choice. Instead, voters were presented with a choice between a "Constitution with Slavery" and a "Constitution with no Slavery". However, the “Constitution with no Slavery” option would not have banned slavery in Kansas but merely prevented the future importation of enslaved people, which was deemed unenforceable. As a result, Free-soilers boycotted the referendum, and over half of the 6,000 votes cast were deemed fraudulent.
Despite the irregularities in the voting process, President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, endorsed the Lecompton Constitution and urged Congress to approve it, alienating many Democrats who felt it violated popular sovereignty. 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. In this second round of voting, on January 4, 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a decisive margin of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that Free-State supporters far outnumbered pro-slavery advocates in the territory.
Holmes' Constitutional Legacy: Save or Rewrite?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
President James Buchanan supported the pro-slavery document
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 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 people of colour from its bill of rights. It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and compensation.
President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress. Buchanan was a vocal supporter of enslaver rights, which he believed were necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. He persuaded Senator Robert Walker, a strong defender of slavery, to serve as the territorial governor of Kansas. Despite Walker's warning that the Lecompton Constitution did not fulfill the promise of popular sovereignty, Buchanan's support for the document never wavered. He demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state.
Buchanan's endorsement of the Lecompton Constitution alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt that the constitution violated popular sovereignty. Douglas, the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, vehemently opposed the Lecompton Constitution and threatened to oppose Buchanan publicly if he continued his support for it. Despite these objections, the Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25. However, the Lecompton Constitution was ultimately rejected in a territorial election in January 1858, and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state.
The Constitution's Home Rule: Preserving State Powers
You may want to see also
Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1858
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857 in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, and was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was written by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. The document was strongly pro-slavery and included clauses to protect slaveholding and a bill of rights that excluded free black people. It also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The Lecompton Constitution was preceded by the Topeka Constitution, written by free-state advocates, which would have effectively banned slavery in Kansas. The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in response to this anti-slavery position. The vote on the Lecompton Constitution was boycotted by free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, as they believed pro-slavery influences and fraud had tainted the election. This resulted in a pro-slavery majority in the territorial legislature. The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent. Despite this, the Lecompton Constitution was initially approved in a rigged election in December 1857.
However, in January 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution in a second vote, by a majority of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that free-state supporters far outnumbered pro-slavery advocates. This rejection highlighted the fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts. Despite this clear majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, still demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state. His support for the Lecompton Constitution alienated many Democrats, including Senator Stephen Douglas, who felt it violated popular sovereignty.
Douglas, the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which required people to decide on the issue of slavery through their vote for a constitution, vehemently opposed the Lecompton Constitution. He threatened to oppose Buchanan publicly if he continued his support for it. Despite these objections, Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution never wavered. However, Congress ultimately rejected the Lecompton Constitution, and Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861.
Exploring Diverse Interpretations of the Constitution
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was drafted in 1857 and strongly favoured slavery.
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858. Despite this, President James Buchanan recommended statehood for Kansas under its provisions.
Kansas voters rejected the Lecompton Constitution in January 1858 by a large margin, suggesting that Free-State supporters outnumbered pro-slavery elements. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts.
President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress, despite opposition from many Northern Democrats, including Stephen A. Douglas. Buchanan's support for the constitution alienated many in his own party and contributed to the growing divide over slavery.
The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution and the subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state in January 1860 highlighted the voting irregularities and fraudulent practices that had occurred. The debate over Kansas and Lecompton also split the national Democratic Party in the 1860 presidential election.
