Border Ruffians

Lecompton Constitution Referendum Demonstrates Electoral Fraud in Service of Slavery Expansion

1857-11-07 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

A fraudulent referendum on the Lecompton Constitution occurs in Kansas Territory, with pro-slavery forces manipulating the process to attempt forcing slavery on Kansas despite the Free-State majority. Free-State settlers refuse to participate in the June 1857 election for constitutional convention …

James Buchanan Stephen A. Douglas Pro-slavery delegates Border Ruffians Free-State settlers lecompton-constitution electoral-fraud slavery-expansion bleeding-kansas institutional-corruption +1 more

Border Ruffians Steal Kansas Election Through Systematic Fraud and Violence

1855-03-30 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

Kansas Territory held its first territorial legislative election on March 30, 1855, which was stolen through systematic fraud and violence by approximately 5,000 “Border Ruffians” who invaded from western Missouri. Under the leadership of U.S. Senator David Rice Atchison and other …

David Rice Atchison Border Ruffians Franklin Pierce Kansas Territorial Government electoral-fraud slave-power institutional-capture political-violence democratic-erosion