Lauren Christiansen

12/9/15
History 1700
Mrs. Clark
Bleeding Kansas

Bleeding Kansas was a matter of differing opinions that escalated to a bloody climax, and killed
hundreds of people. Some may think this conflict was a simple line between pro-slavery and
anti-slavery men fighting for the right to enforce their opinions, but this conflict held hidden
meaning to all who were there. This conflict cannot simply be defined as a fight between two
sides of men, but as a complexity of ideas that seemingly came together to only form two sides
when in reality everyone in Kansas had their own motives for fighting.
Bleeding Kansas was fought in 1855-1861 over the difference of opinions of Kansas
becoming a free state or a slave state. Citizens from all around the country rushed to Kansas to
influence the vote to what they believed in. People were afraid Kansas becoming part of the
United States of America could cause the ratio between slave and free states to be uneven
causing one to hold more power than the other. With the tension around the country growing, and
the debate about slavery becoming more prevalent in everyday life, people rushed to Kansas as
an opportunity to guide the vote to what would be beneficial to them. What was originally
designed to be a vote for the citizens of Kansas to choose their own states future, turned into a
battle between what seemed like only two sides when in reality everyone had their own purpose
for fighting in this battle.1
The citizens in Kansas rallied people across the country to join their cause. One of the
ways they rallied people together was the document, or broadside, called Come to the Rescue
that encouraged all pro-slavery men to join the cause. We want men that can be relied upon,
men who have strong arms and patriotic hearts, to stand by the gallant REID, and those who are

1 Quaife, M. M.. Bleeding Kansas and the Pottawatomie Murders: Vol. 6, No. 4
(Mar., 1920), pp. 556-560. Oxford University Press on behalf of Organization of
American Historians. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1886473 (accessed October 31,
2015).
2

now with him, upon the border of our state, to resist the aggressions of the lawless band of
abolitionists in Kansas.2 This broadside was created to call all pro-slavery men to join the cause
and help defend their right to own slaves. It directly called for the ideal man, one who had strong
arms and a patriotic heart to fight for this cause, and fight directly for his country. This broadside
challenges their manhood and integrity if they dont get involved in the fight. It also showed
motives for fighting in Bleeding Kansas.
This broadside shows several different sides to why people united in this cause, and
fought for or against slavery in Kansas. The first way this broadside calls men to fight is the
bolded easy to read title Come to the Rescue located on top of the broadside. It does not just
ask white men to join with pro slavery men to fight for their rights to slaves, but it creates a sense
of urgency to come to Kansas and come to the rescue to save your fellow white mans life while
fighting for a cause. Another way this broadside rallied people together was their use of wording
in this document. While describing their own captain, they used the word gallant and thereby
placed him above the anti-slavery men who were a lawless band of abolitionists in Kansas.
This use of wording makes people feel that joining the cause is the right and honorable thing to
do while also making them feel important to this cause. This broadside is meant to make the
individual men feel special and place them above the anti-slavery men.
Not everyone who participated in Bleeding Kansas wanted to fight in the battle. In a letter
between Edward Bridgman and his Cousin Sidney, Bridgman begins the letter by talking about
the pro-slavery men plundering goods and burning down houses. He says Almost immediately a

2 Come to the Rescue!! document. Broadside, 1856. From Missouri History

Museum Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.
http://collections.mohistory.org/exhibit/EXH:CWMO-134.html (accessed October 31,
2015).
3

company of 30 was raised. There was no reason why I could not go for one, so I borrowed a rifle
and ammunition and joined them. The thought of engaging in battle is not a pleasing one, but the
free state men are compelled to. 3 The reason that he fights is because the pro-slavery men fight,
and because of the need to protect his town and property from the pro-slavery men. Even at the
thought of entering a battle, he describes the horrifying actions of the pro-slavery men and
continues to fight in order to end this battle. His letters mention nothing of his opinion on proslavery and anti-slavery only of the actions of the pro-slavery men. He also fights for the women
who were forced to help during the battles. It is nothing uncommon to see them running bullets
and making catriges, 4 and the horror of seeing them hug their husbands goodbye possibly for
the last time. Edward Bridgmans motive in fighting was to return society back to normal. He
wanted to end this battle in Kansas. He joined because of the ghastly and inhumane events taking
place in Kansas such as when 5 men had been killed by Free State men. the men were butchered
-- ears cut off and the bodies thrown into the river. 5 He saw these inhuman acts and watched
families being separated and wanted to end it. When his company was finally able to return home
he talked about how a long line of women and children stood by the roadside to greet us and joy
was depicted on every countenance.6 In his letters he does not talk about fighting for slavery. He
talks about the women, and the brutality of this war.

3 Letter from Edward Bridgman to Cousin Sidney, May 25, 1856, historical letter,
Edward Bridgman letter collection.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2953t.html (accessed October 31, 2015).
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
4

Senator Sumner has been savagely and brutally assaulted, while sitting in his seat in the
Senate chamber, by the Hon. Mr. Brooks of South Carolina.7 In this New York Tribune
newspaper article on May 23, 1956 the story of a fight between these two men depicts the
brutality of southern men. In this conflict, Senator Sumner was hit in the head from behind by a
loaded cane and then endured a continuous attack by Mr. Brooks of South Carolina in which
Senator Sumner was hit repeatedly by the loaded cane. The New York Tribune described this as a
exhibition of Southern cowardice -- generally miscalled Southern chivalry -- was ever
witnessed.8 This newspaper article used the attack to insult the southern people and slavery, and
to rally political gain for the free state men. It described the conflict in Kansas as persecutions,
murders, robberies and war upon the Free-State men in Kansas9, describing only the free state
mens hardships and placing the pro- slavery men at fault for all that had happened. We are
either to have Liberty or Slavery.10 This quote places two sides against each other with the
northern men wanting the liberty America promised them and the southerners wanting slaves.
This quote also places the southern men or pro-slavery men at fault for the battle in Kansas.
Though the writer of this New York Tribune newspaper article may not have been in Kansas
through any of the battles, the writer still fought with the free state men because this article
rallied the people against the southern or pro-slavery men, making the pro-slavery man out to be
the wrongdoer, while the writer is gaining political support for the free state man.
7 No title. New York, Tribune [Republican], 23 May 1856. From the Secession Era
Editorial Project, Furman University,
http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/Kansas/Tribune23May.html (accessed October 31,
2015).
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
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This article in the New York Tribune not only managed to rally the northers and free state
men together while also improving their political power in the north, but it also offended the
southerners and united them. Look to the North, and what do we realize? We are regaled by the
coarse vituperation of the New York Tribune, and the insane ranting of Fessenden.11 This
Jackson, Mississippi newspaper article defends southerners and pro-slavery men against the
north while opposing the New York Tribune article. The New York Tribune article condemned
the south and their choices while the Jackson, Mississippi article did the same to the north while
also attacking the New York Tribune. Each pointed out the flaws of the other, aiming to lower the
publics opinions of each other and gain the influence and power over the other. One flaw of the
norths that the Jackson, Mississippi pointed out was unnecessary excitement12 of the north. It
discredited the New York Tribune by suggesting that it was an overreaction of the north. Both
sources were looking to gain more favor than the other in the eyes of the citizens of the United
States of America.
You then and there entered my house at midnight and arrested my husband and two boys
and took them out of the yard and in cold blood shot them dead in my hearing, you cant say you
done it to free our slaves, we had none and never expected to own one. 13 Mahala Doyle wrote
this letter to John Brown on November 20, 1859 to express her feelings towards John Brown
when he was sentenced to death. For some joining this battle was because of a personal vendetta
11 Jackson, Mississippi, Mississippian [Democratic], 31 March 1854, From the
Secession Era Editorial Project, Furman University,
http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/Kansas/ (accessed October 31, 2015).
12 Ibid.
13 Mahala Doyle to John Brown, November 20, 1859. Historical Letter, Gilder
Lehrman Collection, https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/failurecompromise/resources/%E2%80%9Cbleeding-kansas%E2%80%9D-andpottawatomie-massacre-1856 (accessed October 31, 2015).
6

against someone who participated in the battle and caused injury to someone. She chose a side
based on the personal vendetta against a member on the free state side. John Browns death was
something to celebrate to her while other abolitionists mourned his death. Her and her son
wanted to be there for his hanging that he might adjust the rope around your neck if gov: wise
would permit it.14
In John Browns address of death, he states I saw a book kissed, which I suppose to be
the bible15 His motivation for fighting was his religious beliefs about how all men were equal no
matter the color of his skin. He believed it was a call from God to help free the slaves any way he
could. I have done no wrong, but right16 he believed that he was fighting for God, and he was
dying on a cross like Christ, for he believed what he fought for was right even to the extent that
he did fight for it. Every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of a reward,
rather than a punishment,17 he believed that God was telling him to fight for these slaves any
way he could, and believed that if the court could know God as well, they would reward him, not
punish him.
Bleeding Kansas appears simple upon first glance because it seemingly only has two
sides to choose from. When looked at it greater detail, however, this conflict held hidden
meaning to all who were there because each person had their own motives for fighting in this
14 Ibid.
15 Brown, John. John Brown address of death, August 29, 1893. Letter. From
Library of Congress, The Virginia court,
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/archive/03/0306001r.jpg (accessed October 31,
2015).
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid.
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battle. People joined to help their fellow men, to protect his home, to gain political power, to gain
favor in the eyes of the citizens, as a personal vendetta, for religion, etc. People may have chosen
a side to fight on that would be benefit for their motives, but this conflict cannot simply be
defined as a fight between two sides of men. Rather, it is a complexity of ideas that seemingly
came together to only form two sides when in reality everyone in Kansas had their own motives
for fighting.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
PRIMARY SOURCES
Come to the Rescue!! document. Broadside, 1856. From Missouri History Museum
Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.
http://collections.mohistory.org/exhibit/EXH:CWMO-134.html (accessed October
31, 2015).
Letter from Edward Bridgman to Cousin Sidney, May 25, 1856, historical letter, Edward
Bridgman letter collection. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2953t.html
(accessed October 31, 2015).
No title. New York, Tribune [Republican], 23 May 1856. From the Secession Era
Editorial Project, Furman University,
http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/Kansas/Tribune23May.html (accessed October
31, 2015).
Jackson, Mississippi, Mississippian [Democratic], 31 March 1854, From the Secession
Era Editorial Project, Furman University,
http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/Kansas/ (accessed October 31, 2015).
Mahala Doyle to John Brown, November 20, 1859. Historical Letter, Gilder Lehrman
Collection, https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/failurecompromise/resources/%E2%80%9Cbleeding-kansas%E2%80%9D-andpottawatomie-massacre-1856 (accessed October 31, 2015).
Brown, John. John Brown address of death, August 29, 1893. Letter. From Library of
Congress, The Virginia court,
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/archive/03/0306001r.jpg (accessed October
31, 2015).
SECONDARY SOURCES
Quaife, M. M.. Bleeding Kansas and the Pottawatomie Murders: Vol. 6, No. 4 (Mar.,
1920), pp. 556-560. Oxford University Press on behalf of Organization of
American Historians. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1886473 (accessed October 31,
2015).