Eleanor Finch
The Lecompton Constitution was a document drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates in Kansas. It included clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free people of colour. The document was highly controversial due to its pro-slavery stance and the voting fraud that marred the process. Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, and the majority of delegates elected to write the constitution were pro-slavery. The constitution was ultimately rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858, and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861. The controversy surrounding the Lecompton Constitution highlighted the deep divisions in the country over slavery and contributed to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the Lecompton Constitution | 1857 |
| Who drafted it | Southern pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood |
| What did it contain | Clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks |
| Who supported it | President James Buchanan, Southern Democrats, President Franklin Pierce |
| Who opposed it | Northern Democrats, Free-soilers, Free-state supporters, Free-Staters, Thomas Ewing Jr., Robert J. Walker |
| What was the outcome | Rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858, Kansas admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861 |
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What You'll Learn
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates
The constitution was drafted during a period of widespread electoral fraud, and the territorial legislature that drafted it mainly consisted of enslavers. Free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote. The pro-slavery constitutional convention claimed the right to call for a vote on part of the constitution and to turn over the power of the territorial governor and legislature to the president of the constitutional convention. The convention wanted voters to have the option of a constitution 'with slavery' or 'without slavery'. However, the Constitution with no Slavery' clause would not have made Kansas a free state; it would have banned the future importation of enslaved people into Kansas, something deemed unenforceable by many.
The Lecompton Constitution was preceded by the Topeka Constitution and was followed by the Leavenworth and Wyandotte Constitutions. The document 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. Kansas voters rejected the constitution by a decisive margin of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that Free-State supporters overwhelmingly outnumbered pro-slavery supporters. Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861.
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It included provisions to protect slavery in the state
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. It was framed in Lecompton, the Territorial Capital of Kansas, in 1857 by Southern pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. The constitution included clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights that excluded free black people. Article 7 of the constitution protected the right to enslaved "property". It prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The Lecompton Constitution was the product of a pro-slavery majority in the territorial legislature. Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, resulting in the election of a pro-slavery convention. The constitution was then presented to voters, but the anti-slavery faction again refused to participate in the election. The pro-slavery constitution was sent to President James Buchanan for congressional approval. The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities, with over half of the 6,000 votes deemed fraudulent.
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Kansas voters in January 1858 by a vote of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that free-state supporters overwhelmingly outnumbered the pro-slavery element. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution and the subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts to create a state constitution in Kansas that allowed slavery.
The Lecompton Constitution's provisions to protect slavery in the state were highly controversial and contributed to the frictions leading up to the US Civil War. The constitution's endorsement of slavery and the exclusion of free black people from its bill of rights were opposed by many, including those who boycotted the vote and those who worked to uncover fraudulent voting practices. The controversy surrounding the Lecompton Constitution's protection of slavery also extended to the national level, with President Buchanan's support for the constitution alienating many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt it violated popular sovereignty.
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It excluded free people of colour from its bill of rights
The Lecompton Constitution was drafted by pro-slavery advocates and included provisions to protect slavery in the state. It excluded free people of colour from its bill of rights, protecting the "right of property" of slave owners and their claimed "right" to enslaved people as their "property". It also prevented the legislature from emancipating enslaved people without their enslavers' consent and full compensation.
The bill of rights in the Lecompton Constitution was highly controversial because it not only protected slavery but also excluded free people of colour from the same rights as white citizens. This meant that free Black people and other people of colour were not afforded the same protections and rights as white people, further entrenching racial inequality and discrimination.
The exclusion of free people of colour from the bill of rights was part of a larger effort by pro-slavery advocates to ensure that slavery would be protected in Kansas. By excluding free people of colour from the bill of rights, pro-slavery advocates sought to deny them political and legal rights, including the right to vote, hold office, and serve on juries. This would ensure that the political power in Kansas remained in the hands of white slave owners and their supporters.
The controversy over the Lecompton Constitution's bill of rights highlighted the deep divisions in the United States at the time, particularly between the North and the South, and contributed to the growing tensions that would lead to the Civil War. The exclusion of free people of colour from the bill of rights was seen by many as a violation of the principles of equality and freedom that the United States was founded upon.
The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution by Kansas voters in January 1858, and the subsequent admittance of Kansas as a free state, demonstrated the strong opposition to the efforts of pro-slavery advocates to shape the state's constitution and protect slavery. The controversy surrounding the Lecompton Constitution's bill of rights also exposed the widespread electoral fraud and intimidation tactics employed by pro-slavery supporters, further eroding trust and exacerbating tensions in the lead-up to the Civil War.
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The referendum suffered serious voting irregularities
The referendum on the Lecompton Constitution suffered serious voting irregularities. The document was framed in Lecompton, Kansas, in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free black people. The referendum was boycotted by free-soilers, and over half of the 6,000 votes were deemed fraudulent.
The Lecompton Constitution was preceded by widespread electoral fraud. The territorial legislature, which mainly consisted of enslavers, met at Lecompton in September 1857 to produce a rival document. Free-state supporters, who comprised most actual settlers, boycotted the vote. The convention wanted voters to have the option of a constitution with slavery or without, but there was no option to reject the constitution entirely, which would have been the true anti-slavery choice.
The pro-slavery convention claimed the right to call for a vote on part of the constitution and to turn over the power of the territorial governor and legislature to the president of the constitutional convention. 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.
The Lecompton Constitution was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858, but President James Buchanan recommended statehood for Kansas under its provisions. Kansas voters rejected the constitution by a decisive margin of 10,226 to 138, suggesting that free-state supporters overwhelmingly outnumbered pro-slavery supporters and that Lecompton's previous popularity was the product of nefarious voting practices.
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President James Buchanan endorsed the Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted in 1857 by pro-slavery advocates in Lecompton, Kansas. It included provisions to protect slavery in the state and excluded free people of colour from its bill of rights. The Lecompton Constitution was highly controversial, and its drafting and voting processes were marred by widespread electoral fraud.
Buchanan's support for the Lecompton Constitution was unwavering. He demanded that Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave state, even though a clear majority of Kansans did not support it. This stance caused a rift in the Democratic Party, with some members breaking away and joining the Republicans in opposition to the constitution.
Buchanan's endorsement of the Lecompton Constitution can be understood in the context of his broader policy of appeasing the slave states. He appointed many southerners to his cabinet and supported the rights of enslavers, even when this went against the wishes of the majority of citizens in states like Kansas.
Despite Buchanan's support, the Lecompton Constitution was ultimately rejected. Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected the constitution in a referendum in January 1858, and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lecompton Constitution was a document framed 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 blacks.
The Lecompton Constitution was controversial because it was created through fraudulent voting practices. Free-state supporters boycotted the vote, resulting in the election of a pro-slavery convention.
Kansas voters rejected the Lecompton Constitution in January 1858 by a large majority. Kansas was later admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861.
The Lecompton Constitution added to the tensions leading up to the US Civil War. It also highlighted the irregular and fraudulent voting practices that had marked earlier efforts to create a state constitution in Kansas.
