Day 7 Class Summary

On Day five as well as day six we didn't have class. However on day seven we did have class. Today, we learned about the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Stephen Douglass proposed that the territories Kansas and Nebraska would decide the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty. The southerners agreed with this act, because it would give them a chance to even up representatives in the senate. The Northerners disagreed though because it went against the Missouri Compromise. At this pointy proslavery and antislavery settlers were angry at each other and were trying to win over Kansas. Border Ruffians (proslavery) caused quite a ruckus themselves. They actually illegally voted and helped Kansas become proslavery. Immediately thereafter this was announced many laws were made that concerned proslavery. The antislavery settlers wouldn't stand for it and killed five proslavery people in Pottawatomie Creek. By the mid 1850s more than 200 people had been killed in Kansas. Soon after, Charles Sumner, an abolitionist senator called out Andrew Butler of South carolina. He insulted him in a crude fashion. Several days later, Preston Brooks, Andrew Butler's relative went into Sumner's office and beat him with his cane. Sumner would not return to the senate for three years.