Malcolm Rivera
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 the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. It was endorsed by President James Buchanan, who supported slavery, but was ultimately rejected in a territorial election in January 1858.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | September 1857 |
| Location | Lecompton, Kansas |
| Purpose | To protect the rights of slave owners and refute the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution |
| Content | Clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free black people |
| Voting irregularities | Yes |
| Outcome | Rejected in a territorial election in January 1858 |
| President James Buchanan's response | Endorsed the Lecompton Constitution before Congress |
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What You'll Learn
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in 1857
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by a group of predominantly slave-holding legislators who called for a convention to meet in Lecompton, the territorial capital of Kansas, to draw up a constitution that would protect the rights of slave owners and refute the Topeka Constitution. The convention was boycotted by free-soilers, and the resulting document passed easily due to illegal voting practices, including voter intimidation carried out by pro-slavery Missourians. The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed constitutions for Kansas and was strongly pro-slavery. It provided for a referendum on whether to allow more enslaved people into the territory, with the ballot presenting voters 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; it would have only banned the future importation of enslaved people into the state.
The Lecompton Constitution was endorsed by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat, despite the fact that it lacked true popular sovereignty and was opposed by many Northern Democrats, including Senator Stephen Douglas, the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution contributed to the split in the national Democratic Party in the 1860 presidential election. The Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25, but it was blocked by Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans in the House, resulting in a stalemate. The Lecompton Constitution was ultimately rejected in a territorial election in January 1858, with Kansas being admitted to the Union as a free state.
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It was named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas
The Lecompton Constitution was named for the city of Lecompton, Kansas, where it was drafted. The document was framed in Lecompton, the Territorial Capital of Kansas, in 1857. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. 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.
The constitution was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution of James H. Lane and other free-state advocates. The territorial legislature—which, because of 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 boycotted the vote. The Lecompton Constitution prohibited any amendment for a period of seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years. It also prohibited free blacks from entering the state.
The Lecompton Constitution was endorsed by President James Buchanan, a pro-Southern Democrat. Buchanan’s support was met with outrage among Northern Democrats, and the sectional divide laid bare by the debate over Kansas and Lecompton ultimately split the national Democratic Party in the 1860 presidential election. Despite Douglas’s objections, the Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25. However, the main battle for Kansas statehood would take place on the other side of the Capitol. Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans successfully blocked the passage of the bill by a vote of 120-112 in the House, causing a stalemate.
Kansas voters rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a decisive margin of 10,226 to 138 in January 1858, suggesting that Free-State supporters overwhelmingly outnumbered the pro-slavery element. Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in January. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts by bushwhackers and border ruffians.
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It was written by pro-slavery advocates
The Lecompton Constitution was written by pro-slavery advocates. It was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas, drafted in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857. The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution of James H. Lane and other free-state advocates.
The Lecompton Constitution was created by Southern pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights that excluded free black people. The constitution also added to the frictions leading up to the US Civil War. The delegates intended to protect the institution of slavery, and the document enshrined slavery in the proposed state and protected the rights of enslavers.
The Lecompton Constitution prohibited any amendments for seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years. It also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. The 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.
Despite the fraudulent voting practices that enabled the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan endorsed the document. Buchanan's support was met with outrage among Northern Democrats, and the sectional divide laid bare by the debate over Kansas and Lecompton ultimately split the national Democratic Party in the 1860 presidential election.
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It was rejected in a territorial election in 1858
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 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 approved in a rigged election in December 1857. However, it was overwhelmingly rejected in a second vote in January 1858 by a majority of voters in the Kansas Territory. This rejection highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier elections. The vote was essentially a referendum on the single issue of slavery, with voters choosing between a "Constitution with Slavery" and a "Constitution with no Slavery".
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by a pro-slavery convention that met in Lecompton in September 1857. The convention was boycotted by free-soilers, and the final vote was marred by illegal voting practices, including voter intimidation carried out by pro-slavery Missourians. Despite this, the Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25. However, this bill was blocked in the House, resulting in a stalemate.
In response to the rejection of the Lecompton Constitution, President James Buchanan recommended statehood for Kansas under its provisions. However, Congress balked at this proposal, and a compromise was offered, calling for the resubmission of the constitution to the territory's voters. Kansas again rejected the Lecompton Constitution in August 1858 and was admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861. This admission as a free state further highlighted the fraudulent nature of earlier votes, which had been characterised by voter fraud and intimidation by pro-slavery groups.
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It was one of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed state constitutions of Kansas. The four proposed constitutions were the Topeka Constitution, the Lecompton Constitution, the Leavenworth Constitution, and the Wyandotte Constitution, with the latter becoming the Kansas state constitution. The Lecompton Constitution was drafted in the city of Lecompton, Kansas, and was strongly pro-slavery. 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 Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. It also aimed to exclude free people of colour from its bill of rights. The constitution prohibited any amendment for a period of seven years and required governors to be citizens for at least 20 years. It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation. The document also left the question of allowing more enslaved people to enter the territory to the voters. The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
The Lecompton Constitution was endorsed by President James Buchanan, who believed that supporting enslaver rights was necessary to prevent Southern secession and preserve the Union. However, many Northern Democrats, led by Stephen A. Douglas, opposed the constitution, arguing that it lacked true popular sovereignty. Despite these objections, the Kansas statehood bill passed the Senate on March 23, 1858, by a vote of 33 to 25. A new referendum over the fate of the Lecompton Constitution was proposed, and a new anti-slavery constitution, the Leavenworth Constitution, was already being drafted.
On January 4, 1858, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution by a vote of 10,226 to 138. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was written in 1857.
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document that aimed to protect the rights of slave owners in Kansas.
The Lecompton Constitution was written by pro-slavery advocates during the Lecompton Convention in Lecompton, Kansas.
No, the Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858. Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state.
