Timeline Of The Lecompton Constitution. Definition & Summary

The Lecompton Constitution was a controversial document drafted in 1857 in Lecompton, Kansas, as part of the ongoing struggle over whether the territory would become a free state or a slave state. The Constitution was a pro-slavery document that provided for the protection of slaveholders’ property rights and restricted voting rights to white males.

The Constitution was drafted by a pro-slavery convention in Kansas that was boycotted by anti-slavery delegates. When it was submitted to a popular vote, however, it was rejected by a majority of Kansas residents, who were mostly anti-slavery.

President James Buchanan, a Democrat sympathetic to the pro-slavery cause, supported the Lecompton Constitution and urged Congress to admit Kansas to the Union as a slave state under its terms. However, the Democratic Party was divided on the issue, and some Democrats joined with Republicans to defeat the proposal.

Ultimately, after several rounds of political maneuvering and controversy, the Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Congress in 1858, and Kansas was eventually admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861.

The Lecompton Constitution was a key moment in the lead-up to the American Civil War, as it demonstrated the deep divide between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the United States and highlighted the increasingly bitter and violent conflict between them.

 

More Details on Lecompton Constitution

Exhibits withinside the museum provide an explanation for the Lecompton Constitution and its consequences at the country, Bleeding Kansas, and Territorial Kansas.  It is the oldest wood-framed construction in Kansas nonetheless in its authentic location.  The constructing has a duplicate of the Lecompton Constitution, the authentic being housed on the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka.

Between October 19 and November 8, 1857, the pro-slavery Lecompton Convention wrote a kingdom charter that deviated from the sample of preceding kingdom constitutions. First, the Lecompton Constitution prohibited any change for a length of 7 years. The charter required governors to be residents for a minimum of two decades and prohibited unfastened blacks from coming into the kingdom. Additionally, the charter assured slaveholders their assets rights for the about two hundred slaves and their descendants presently dwelling withinside the territory.

The charter left the query if new slaves can be delivered into the territory to the citizens. The conference desired the citizens to have the choice of the charter with slavery or the charter without slavery. There become now no longer the choice to reject the charter entirely, which might have represented the actual anti-slavery preference due to the fact even supposing the charter become authorized with the prohibition of latest slaves delivered in, it nonetheless might permit the perpetuated enslavement of these presently held in bondage and their descendants. Also Read – What Was the Embargo Act of 1807?

Few more details

Members of the conference argued that Kansans risked sacrificing their statehood in the event that they voted at the Lecompton Constitution as a whole.

However, the vote in this file does now no longer constitutes actual famous sovereignty as citizens have been now no longer given the choice to reject the charter entirely—the actual anti-slavery option. Fresh off his resignation, Walker warned Buchannan that the Lecompton Constitution did now no longer satisfy the promise of famous sovereignty and that blood can be shed over it.

Additionally, Senator Stephen Douglass (Democrat-Illinois), the writer of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, vehemently adverse the Lecompton Constitution as it lacked actual famous sovereignty and he threatened to oppose President Buchannan publicly if he persisted in his help for it. Despite those objections, Buchanan’s help for the Lecompton Constitution in no way wavered and it has become more and more clear that he might stake his management at the passage of Kansas statehood invoice below this file.

However, no matter this clean majority opposing the Lecompton Constitution. Buchanan demanded Congress approve it and admit Kansas as a slave kingdom. His unrelenting help for the charter alienated many Democrats, including Stephen Douglas, who felt this charter violated famous sovereignty. Douglas broke with Buchanan and joined with the Republicans looking to block the Kansas statehood invoice. Douglas represents a developing fashion amongst northern Democrats withinside the overdue 1850s.

It becomes turning harder to promote slavery to their northern constituents.

To those northern residents Buchanan’s insistence that Kansas be admitted below the Lecompton Constitution. Whilst a clean majority of Kansas did now no longer approve of. It becomes a clear indication of the slave energy manipulating northern Democrat politicians. Additionally, northern politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, knew. If Kansas has become a slave kingdom below the objections from its resident’s Republicans. They might dominate the midterms in 1858 and probably even the election of 1860. Despite Douglas’s objections, the Kansas statehood invoice surpassed the Senate on March 23, 1858. As a way of means of a vote of 33 to 25. However, the primary war for Kansas statehood might take the region on the opposite facet of the Capitol.

Northern anti-Lecompton Democrats and Republicans efficaciously blocked the passage of the invoice. As a way of means of a vote of 120-112 withinside the House inflicting a stalemate. On March 29, 1858, the anti-Lecompton Democrats supplied Buchanan with a compromise to interrupt the stalemate. They might vote in desire of the statehood invoice at the situation that Kansans ought to amend their charter. At any time and now no longer wait the seven years stipulated. For a few unknown purposes that baffle historians and commentators alike, Buchanan rejected the deal. Also Read – What Is the Relationship Between Marginal Revenue and Total Revenue?

Final words

A joint House-Senate committee broke the stalemate after they followed the English Bill. It was proposed via way of means of Representative William English (Democrat-Indiana). It also proposed the Lecompton Constitution dispatch again to Kansas to be voted on once more. On August 2, 1858, Kansans overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution 11. Three hundred to 1,788 and Kansas remained a territory till 1861 whilst it becomes admitted as an unfastened kingdom.

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