Introduction
Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
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The above objectives correspond with the following Alabama Course of Study Objectives: 
The U.S. Capitol became of the center of the slavery debate during the 1850s as harsh words between lawmakers led to fighting within the halls of Congress.
Introduction
The year 1856 proved to be a particularly bloody year for the United States as fighting erupted over the issue of slavery. The Kansas territory witnessed its share of bloodshed during this year, so much so, that it achieved the nickname "Bleeding Kansas' by year's end. The tension in Kansas began with the heated debate over the Kansas-Nebraska Act that permitted the people living in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves the status of slavery. Once this Act took effect, extreme minded individuals from both sides of the slavery debate flooded into Kansas to vote in upcoming territorial elections. Even though anti-slavery supporters clearly outnumbered pro-slavery supporters in Kansas, enough illegal votes were cast to sway the elections in favor of a pro-slavery government. Over time, two different governments were established-one supporting slavery and the other against, setting the stage for an eventual confrontation.
The confrontation came in the form of a violent raid in May 1856. It started when a group of pro-slavery supporters led a raid on the rival free soiler capital in an attempt to arrest free soil leaders. The raid turned destructive as numerous houses and buildings were destroyed. A few days later, a group of free soilers retaliated on a pro-slavery town killing 5 people. By the end of the year, more than 200 people in Kansas alone lost their lives defending their stand on slavery.
At almost exactly the same time, lawmakers in Washington debated the Kansas issue in the halls of Congress. Passionate speeches over whether or not slavery should exist in Kansas became littered with personal attacks against persons of the other opinion. One such speech, given by Senator Sumner of Massachusetts, attacked Senator Butler of South Carolina. Days later, Butler's relative-Representative Brooks-attacked Senator Butler on the Senate floor with a metal-tipped cane leaving the Senator brutally wounded.
The numerous accounts of bloodshed served as a telling message that words were now not enough to heal the deep divide that existed in the nation. Instead, the events of Kansas and elsewhere foreshadowed future bloodshed on a much larger scale. This bloodshed would come just four short years later, and this time the destruction would be on a much larger scale tearing entire families, communities, and the nation itself apart.
Did You Know?
Do you know who was President of the United States from 1853-1857?
