This political cartoon, titled, "Forcing Slavery Down The Throat of a Freesoiler," was published in 1856 by illustrator John L. Magee on Harper's Weekly. This was in response to violence against antislavery supporters in Kansas. The cartoon shows several Democratic figures--namely Stephen Douglas, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Lewis Cass--shoving a peronified version of slavery (a black man) down a "freesoiler's" throat. The term "freesoiler" refers to an
The Civil War
Pro and anti-slavery advocates knew that having a greater number of free/slave states respectively meant having more of a say in Congress about slavery matters, and thus both sides were very desperate to grow the amount of support they had. When the citizens of Kansas realized that they could make their own decision, tensions rose throughout the whole nation. The majority of the anti-slavery North wanted Kansas on "their side" of the debate, while the South wanted more pro-slavery territory as well. When the Lecompton Constitution was sent to Congress after being initially approved, the violence from Bleeding Kansas even extended to the members of the House of Representatives in an infamous fistfight. This showed the severity of the nation's divide, and thus the Lecompton Constitution was yet another factor that eventually led to the deadly Civil War.
This is a sketch created by journalist Frank Leslie about the violence that occurred at the House. It was featured in the national newspaper, the New-York Tribune, on February 8th, 1858, two days after the fight.
After referring to how the country is anxiously waiting for the Lecompton Constitution to "give way to some permanent and radical remedy," the author of this section of the Tribune states, "Every Northern representative had as well adopt this conclusion at once, for the struggle is impending and the issue right at his door."
This excerpt suggests that at the time, the national conflict over slavery had grown to the point where there was a clear distinction between the North and the South. Additionally, the violent accounts and political debates that were covered in the press definitely contributed to the uneasiness throughout the country.
Click on the image to the left to view February 8th's issue covering the fistfight that occurred due to a dispute over the Lecompton Constitution. Notice the writer's use of the words "North" and "South," and think about how they must have caused either "side" to feel about the other, especially when the fight it the House was particularly between the two of them.
Essential Question
The events that preceded and occurred throughout the drafting and voting of the Lecompton Constitution can be studied to answer Essential Question D2 - How can the study of multiple perspectives, belief systems and cultures provide a context for understanding and challenging current public actions and decisions in a diverse and interdependent world?
The proposal of the proslavery Lecompton Constitution not only increased the clear divide between those on either side of the slavery debate within the state of Kansas, but also the hostility between the North and the South. Studying both proslavery and antislavery beliefs reveals the interests of both sides. For instance, while some northerners opposed the practice opposed its harsh ignorance of human rights, most antislavery advocates simply wanted a greater source of labor to help the developing North.
After slavery had been abolished, many industrialists soon realized the economic "need" of labor, which was prohibited. Thus, some reasoned that if southern slaves became free men, they could be "hired" to work in unfair circumstances. Racism against Africans was still prominent in both halves of the country, and thus antislavery supporters were not as virtuous as most may think they were, which is why the fight against prejudice and racism exists even today. Studying this matter shows that the views of politicians are in most cases heavily biased and not always genuine, and personal gain is always considered. Even President Lincoln himself said, "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery."
After thinking about this matter, it is unsurprising why the Lecompton Constitution was the second in four attempts to write a constitution for Kansas, and even after it was declared a free state, prejudice against Africans continued into the mid-1900s and still exists today.