What was the purpose of the Topeka Convention?
The Topeka Constitutional Convention met from October 23 to November 11, 1855 in Topeka, Kansas Territory, in a building afterwards called Constitution Hall. It drafted the Topeka Constitution, which banned slavery in Kansas, though it would also have prevented free Blacks from living in Kansas.
What happened at the Topeka Constitutional Convention in 1855?
Antislavery settlers then met at Topeka, and from Oct. 23 to Nov. 12, 1855, they held a constitutional convention. The Topeka Constitution that resulted banned slavery; the question of admitting free blacks into the state was submitted to a popular vote as a separate issue.
Did the Topeka constitution prohibit slavery?
It drafted the Topeka Constitution, which banned slavery in Kansas, though it would also have prevented free Blacks from living in Kansas.
When did Kansas become a state?
But the House of Representatives on July 3, 1856, voted to admit Kansas to statehood under the Topeka Constitution. The Senate blocked that move, however, and thereafter Kansas remained in a bloody territorial limbo until admitted to the Union in 1861.
Why was the Topeka Constitution Important?
The Topeka Constitution called for Kansas territorial citizens to alter their form of government, overthrow an oppressive regime, and repel foreign invaders.
Why was the Topeka Constitution written?
The Topeka Constitution, the first constitution written for Kansas Territory, was drafted by free state supporters in reaction to contested elections that gave the proslavery party initial control of Kansas' territorial government.
What was the first constitution of Kansas?
Four different constitutions were proposed when Kansas became a territory: the Topeka constitution (1855), the Lecompton constitution (1857), the Leavenworth constitution (1858) and the Wyandotte constitution (1859).
When was Kansas constitution written?
The Topeka Constitutional Convention met in opposition to the first territorial legislature, from which free-staters had been excluded, and that they called "bogus". It adopted the Topeka Constitution on December 15, 1855, which was approved territory-wide on January 15, 1856.
When did Bleeding Kansas happen?
1855 – 1861Bleeding Kansas / Period
What was set up in Topeka by free soilers in 1855?
Topeka Constitution, (1855), U.S. resolution that established an antislavery territorial government in opposition to the existing proslavery territorial government in Kansas.
How long is the Kansas Constitution?
15 articlesFeatures. The Kansas Constitution consists of 15 articles.
Was Kansas a free state?
Each side drafted constitutions, but the anti-slavery faction eventually gained the upper hand. Kansas entered the Union as a free state; however, the conflict over slavery in the state continued into the Civil War. Kansas was the scene of some of the most brutal acts of violence during the war.
What does it take to pass a constitutional amendment in Kansas?
Two-thirds of the members of each chamber must approve the resolution. If they do, the proposed amendment goes on either the next statewide ballot during which members of the state Legislature are elected, or on a special election ballot if the Legislature agrees to have a special election for this purpose.
Is abortion legal in Kansas?
Abortion in Kansas is legal. Kansas law allows for an abortion up to 20 weeks postfertilization (22 weeks after the last menstrual period).
Does Kansas have a constitution?
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF KANSAS The Kansas Constitution was originally known as the Wyandotte Constitution and was the fourth constitution proposed by the Territorial Legislature. President James Buchanan signed the bill into law on January 29, 1861, making Kansas the 34th state to enter the Union.
What are current abortion laws in Kansas?
Abortion will remain legal in Kansas as long as the state constitution is not amended. While the state has enacted many restrictions on abortion, in 2019, its highest court ruled that a pregnant person's right to personal autonomy is protected in the state's constitution.
Why was the Lecompton Constitution Important?
Lecompton Constitution, (1857), instrument framed in Lecompton, Kan., by Southern pro-slavery advocates of Kansas statehood. It contained clauses protecting slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks, and it added to the frictions leading up to the U.S. Civil War.
What was the result of the Lecompton Constitution?
The Lecompton Constitution (1859) was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas. Named for the city of Lecompton where it was drafted, it was strongly pro-slavery. However, it never went into effect.
What was in the Kansas Nebraska Act?
It became law on May 30, 1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. It also produced a violent uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as proslavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote.
How was the bogus legislature elected?
It allowed the citizens of the territory to vote on the issue of slavery. President Pierce presided over the first election in Kansas Territory. This election produced the “Bogus Legislature” – a group that was elected by illegal voters that had streamed across the border from Missouri.
When did the Kansans ratify the Constitution?
On December 15 , antislavery Kansans ratified the Constitution and by a three-to-one margin voted to exclude free blacks from the territory. On Jan. 15, 1856, a free state governor and legislature were elected, thus creating two competing territorial governments. Pres.
Who was the leader of the Kansas government in 1856?
Franklin Pierce condemned the Topeka government as an act of rebellion and committed himself to the support of the proslavery Kansas government. But the House of Representatives on July 3, 1856, voted to admit Kansas to statehood under the Topeka Constitution.
When did the Lecompton Constitution get passed?
Secretary Stanton, acting governor, called a special session of the new Legislature and that body submitted the Lecompton Constitution to a vote of the people on January 4, 1858 , with the following result. (Free-State men participating – pro-slavery men not participating.)
How many delegates were there at the 1855 Constitutional Convention?
The Constitutional Convention met at Topeka, Kansas on October 23, 1855. It consisted of 47 delegates, including 18 Democrats, six Whigs, four republicans, two Free-Soilers, one Free-State man, and one Independent. The group elected James H. Lane as president and Samuel C. Smith as secretary.
When was the Constitution ratified?
In the event the constitution was ratified by popular vote at that time, the chairman of the Free State Executive Committee of the territory was directed to issue a proclamation ordering an election for state officers and members of the legislature on the third Monday of January 1856, and the legislature then chosen should meet on March 4, 1856.
Who dispersed the Free State Legislature?
When the Free-State Legislature convened again on July 4, 1856, at Topeka, it was dispersed, at the mouth of loaded cannon, by Colonel Edwin Sumner under instructions of the President.
Was the Topeka movement treasonable?
The Bogus Legislature was still in existence and recognized by the Government at Washington as the only legislative authority in Kansas and the Territorial Governor appointed by the President was in full charge of the executive branch with the United States Army at his command and the Federal judiciary submissive to his desires. The whole Topeka movement was regarded as treasonable. President Franklin Pierce in a special message to Congress on January 24, 1856, said:
What is the Topeka Constitution?
Topeka Constitution. A drawing of Constitution Hall, where the Topeka Constitutional Convention met in 1855. Image courtesy of the Kansas Historical Society. Suffrage for Native Americans: "every civilized male Indian who has adopted the habits of the white man".
Who arrived at Constitution Hall to disperse the Topeka Legislature?
Sketch of Colonel Sumner arriving at Constitution Hall to disperse the Topeka Legislature. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Why did the Free State of Kansas want to make Kansas a free state?
Although the Free-State men varied in their opinions of slavery, some believing in liberty for all, others in liberty only for white men, they coalesced a political party around the desire to make Kansas a free state. With Jim Lane serving as president, the Free-State convention met from October 23 to November 11, 1855, in Topeka, Kansas. The drafted constitution prohibited slavery, granted citizens the rights to “life, liberty, and property and the free pursuits of happiness,” and extended suffrage to white men and “every civilized male Indian who has adopted the ways of the white man.” For reasons founded on racist attitudes and a desire to avoid economic competition, some Free-Staters believed Kansas should be open to settlement for whites only, and Lane forced the issue by including an "exclusion clause" banning free blacks from entering Kansas Territory.
What was the purpose of the 1855 Constitutional Convention?
The fractious and extralegal 1855 constitutional convention joined together factions of Whigs, Democrats, Republicans, and Free-Soil advocates to fight against the increasingly virulent proslavery movement in the Kansas Territory.
When did the Free State Party meet?
The Free-State Party moved in a similar direction on September 5, 1855, when it met at a convention in Big Springs, Kansas, declared the federally recognized proslavery legislature “bogus,” elected its own legislature and delegate to Congress, and called for a state constitutional convention in Topeka to begin in October.
Who supported the Lecompton Constitution?
In January 1857, the Kansas Free-State legislature met again and resubmitted the constitution to Washington, where President James Buchanan, who supported the competing proslavery Lecompton Constitution, condemned the petition and stalled its adoption after his inauguration in March.
When did the Free State Convention take place?
With Jim Lane serving as president, the Free-State convention met from October 23 to November 11, 1855, in Topeka, Kansas. The drafted constitution prohibited slavery, granted citizens the rights to “life, liberty, and property and the free pursuits of happiness,” and extended suffrage to white men and “every civilized male Indian who has adopted ...
Wattles Family
In 1855 members of the Wattles family first settled in Kansas in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed territorial settlers to elect legislatures that would determine whether the territory would enter the Union as a free or slave state.
Topeka Constitution
Free-Soil settlers in Kansas created the Topeka Constitution and elected their own legislature to manifest the democratic ideals of popular sovereignty and bring their struggle against proslavery forces in Kansas Territory to a national audience.
Free-State Party
The Free-State Party was an antislavery political coalition that was organized in territorial Kansas in 1855 to oppose proslavery Democrats.
Lane, James Henry
James Henry Lane, a U.S. congressman, senator, and federal general, was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the son of a lawyer and U.S. congressman.
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka was one of the most successful of the Kansas towns founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company to promote the Free-State cause.
Governor Walker Declares Lawrence in Rebellion
The Free-State city of Lawrence, Kansas attempts to obtain an official charter from the legally unrecognized Topeka Legislature, and then it drafts its own charter. Acting in accordance with the existing Lecompton legislature, Territorial Governor Robert J. Walker declares the charter legally invalid and the city of Lawrence to be in rebellion.
President Pierce Declares Topeka Gov. in Rebellion
As a response to Free-Staters' Topeka Constitution, President Franklin Pierce informs Congress that he has declared the Topeka government to be in a "revolution" against the legitimate government of Kansas Territory.
