I couldn't imagine turning on CSPAN today and seeing a Congressman beating up a Senator in the Senate chamber. But that's exactly what happened on May 22nd, 1856. Here's the story of the caning of Charles Sumner.
Once upon a time there was a Republican Senator from Massachusetts named Charles Sumner. He was strong abolitionist, and a leading voice in Congress for the anti-slavery movement. He saw the expansion of slavery out west as very, very, very, very, very bad.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 further divided the American people in regards to the expansion of slavery out west. One of the things it said was that the people who lived in Kansas and Nebraska territories (aka the white men who lived out there), could vote to determine if slavery would be legal there or not. As it turned out, this was a very, very, very, very, very bad idea. You see, this caused a mad rush of people to the territories to settle so they could determine if Kansas and Nebraska would be either a slave state or free state. Kansas would be called "Bleeding Kansas," because of the fact that pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers there were resorting to violence to get their way.
Charles Sumner was horrified by what he read about Bleeding Kansas. He hated the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and decided to write a speech attacking the law. He called the speech "Crime Against Kansas." On May 19th and 20th, 1856, he gave his speech to the Senate. That's right, the speech was so long that it took two days. He argued Kansas should be admitted to the Union as a free state, and attacked the political power of the Southern slaveholding class, known as "Slave Power."
If he would have stopped there, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out so bad for him. However, next he began to talk trash about the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act- Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Although Douglas was in the audience during the speech, Sumner called him a "noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator." Listening from the back of the Senate chamber, Stephen Douglas reportedly said, “that damned fool will get himself shot by some other damned fool.”
No other person was attacked as much in the speech as Andrew Butler, who actually was recovering from a stroke at the time and not present to hear the attacks. I won't go into detail about what Sumner said about Butler, but let's just say Butler's character was greatly attacked. Not only that, Sumner talked trash about the entire state of South Carolina, hinting in his speech that its history be "blotted out of existence."
Reactions to Sumner's speech were mostly negative. Even abolitionists thought the speech was harsh, although many northern newspapers praised Sumner's words. As you could imagine, Southerners were outraged. One Southerner, South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks, who also happened to be the the second cousin of Andrew Butler, was very, very, very, very, very angry about the speech. Brooks wanted to challenge Sumner to a duel, but fellow South Carolina Congressman Laurence Keitt advised him not to because he believed duels should be between those of equal social standing, and any man who attacked someone recovering from a stroke, such as Sumner did, was not worthy of a duel. The two agreed it'd be better if Brooks just beat the heck out of Sumner with a cane.
On the morning May 21st, Preston Brooks arrived at the Capitol, carrying a cane. He hoped to attack Sumner, but could not find him.
The next day, Brooks again arrived at the Capitol, carrying the cane. The Senate chamber was nearly empty, as he walked in shortly after most of the Senators had left for the day. Brooks hesitated at first, as several women were present in the Senate gallery. After the women left, he approached Sumner, who was writing at his desk. Sumner's head was down and his legs were trapped underneath his desk, which was bolted to the floor.
As Brooks arrived at his desk, he reportedly said something along the lines of, "Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is a libel against my relative and my state." As Sumner began to stand up, Brooks repeatedly beat Sumner severely on the head before he could reach his feet. The metal end of the cane caused Sumner to get knocked down, where he was trapped under the desk. While under the desk, Brooks continued to strike Sumner until Sumner ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his own blood. Sumner staggered up an aisle and passed out.
Most of the Senators who were still around did not intervene, but a few did attempt to help Sumner. However, they were blocked by Laurence Keitt, who reportedly had a pistol pointed at them, shouting, "Let them be!" Despite Sumner being passed out, Brooks continued to beat Sumner. Finally, after his cane splintered into several pieces, Brooks decided that was enough, and left the chamber. The entire attack lasted no more than one minute. Sumner was carried into another room and attended by a doctor, who gave him stitches to close the wounds on his head.
Sumner became a martyr in the North and Brooks became a hero in the South.
After the caning, Brooks was arrested for assault, but soon released on bail. He was later fined $300 and expelled from the House of Representatives. He returned to South Carolina, where they through parades and rallies for him. Many southerners were proud of his attack, and he received hundreds of new canes from supporters. One had "hit him again" inscribed on it. Brooks was immediately re-elected, but died soon after at the age of 37.
Sumner suffered traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. He spent three years recovering before he was able to return to his Senate seat. After returning he picked up right where he left off, with another fiery Senate speech in 1860 titled "The Barbarism of Slavery." He was again threatened, but no one ever physically attacked him again. He would go on to serve in the Senate for 15 more years. Due to his injuries from Brooks, he suffered from chronic pain the rest of his life.
The caning of Charles Sumner illustrated the mood of the United States at the time- it was a country that was deeply divided over the expansion of slavery. The caning was a symbol of the collapse of communication between Northerners and Southerners in the years leading to the Civil War. It made it seem that secession or civil war was now inevitable.
Once upon a time there was a Republican Senator from Massachusetts named Charles Sumner. He was strong abolitionist, and a leading voice in Congress for the anti-slavery movement. He saw the expansion of slavery out west as very, very, very, very, very bad.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 further divided the American people in regards to the expansion of slavery out west. One of the things it said was that the people who lived in Kansas and Nebraska territories (aka the white men who lived out there), could vote to determine if slavery would be legal there or not. As it turned out, this was a very, very, very, very, very bad idea. You see, this caused a mad rush of people to the territories to settle so they could determine if Kansas and Nebraska would be either a slave state or free state. Kansas would be called "Bleeding Kansas," because of the fact that pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers there were resorting to violence to get their way.
Charles Sumner was horrified by what he read about Bleeding Kansas. He hated the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and decided to write a speech attacking the law. He called the speech "Crime Against Kansas." On May 19th and 20th, 1856, he gave his speech to the Senate. That's right, the speech was so long that it took two days. He argued Kansas should be admitted to the Union as a free state, and attacked the political power of the Southern slaveholding class, known as "Slave Power."
If he would have stopped there, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out so bad for him. However, next he began to talk trash about the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act- Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Although Douglas was in the audience during the speech, Sumner called him a "noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator." Listening from the back of the Senate chamber, Stephen Douglas reportedly said, “that damned fool will get himself shot by some other damned fool.”
No other person was attacked as much in the speech as Andrew Butler, who actually was recovering from a stroke at the time and not present to hear the attacks. I won't go into detail about what Sumner said about Butler, but let's just say Butler's character was greatly attacked. Not only that, Sumner talked trash about the entire state of South Carolina, hinting in his speech that its history be "blotted out of existence."
Reactions to Sumner's speech were mostly negative. Even abolitionists thought the speech was harsh, although many northern newspapers praised Sumner's words. As you could imagine, Southerners were outraged. One Southerner, South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks, who also happened to be the the second cousin of Andrew Butler, was very, very, very, very, very angry about the speech. Brooks wanted to challenge Sumner to a duel, but fellow South Carolina Congressman Laurence Keitt advised him not to because he believed duels should be between those of equal social standing, and any man who attacked someone recovering from a stroke, such as Sumner did, was not worthy of a duel. The two agreed it'd be better if Brooks just beat the heck out of Sumner with a cane.
On the morning May 21st, Preston Brooks arrived at the Capitol, carrying a cane. He hoped to attack Sumner, but could not find him.
The next day, Brooks again arrived at the Capitol, carrying the cane. The Senate chamber was nearly empty, as he walked in shortly after most of the Senators had left for the day. Brooks hesitated at first, as several women were present in the Senate gallery. After the women left, he approached Sumner, who was writing at his desk. Sumner's head was down and his legs were trapped underneath his desk, which was bolted to the floor.
As Brooks arrived at his desk, he reportedly said something along the lines of, "Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is a libel against my relative and my state." As Sumner began to stand up, Brooks repeatedly beat Sumner severely on the head before he could reach his feet. The metal end of the cane caused Sumner to get knocked down, where he was trapped under the desk. While under the desk, Brooks continued to strike Sumner until Sumner ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his own blood. Sumner staggered up an aisle and passed out.
Most of the Senators who were still around did not intervene, but a few did attempt to help Sumner. However, they were blocked by Laurence Keitt, who reportedly had a pistol pointed at them, shouting, "Let them be!" Despite Sumner being passed out, Brooks continued to beat Sumner. Finally, after his cane splintered into several pieces, Brooks decided that was enough, and left the chamber. The entire attack lasted no more than one minute. Sumner was carried into another room and attended by a doctor, who gave him stitches to close the wounds on his head.
Sumner became a martyr in the North and Brooks became a hero in the South.
After the caning, Brooks was arrested for assault, but soon released on bail. He was later fined $300 and expelled from the House of Representatives. He returned to South Carolina, where they through parades and rallies for him. Many southerners were proud of his attack, and he received hundreds of new canes from supporters. One had "hit him again" inscribed on it. Brooks was immediately re-elected, but died soon after at the age of 37.
Sumner suffered traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. He spent three years recovering before he was able to return to his Senate seat. After returning he picked up right where he left off, with another fiery Senate speech in 1860 titled "The Barbarism of Slavery." He was again threatened, but no one ever physically attacked him again. He would go on to serve in the Senate for 15 more years. Due to his injuries from Brooks, he suffered from chronic pain the rest of his life.
The caning of Charles Sumner illustrated the mood of the United States at the time- it was a country that was deeply divided over the expansion of slavery. The caning was a symbol of the collapse of communication between Northerners and Southerners in the years leading to the Civil War. It made it seem that secession or civil war was now inevitable.
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