148-583: The Lawrence Journal-World is a daily newspaper published in Lawrence, Kansas , United States, by Ogden Newspapers . Though the Journal-World title came into existence in 1911, the paper dates itself to 1858, according to the volume number of the current masthead. In 1891, Wilford Collins Simons moved to Lawrence and took over the Lawrence Record operations under a three-month lease. The Lawrence World
296-722: A referendum by a vote of 10,421 to 5,530 on October 4, 1859. With Southern states still in control of the Senate, confirmation of the Wyandotte Constitution was indefinitely postponed. When senators from the seceding states left in January 1861, Kansas was immediately admitted—the same day—as a free state. On November 21, 1855, the so-called Wakarusa War began in Douglas County when a proslavery settler, Franklin Coleman, shot and killed
444-452: A 22-mile paved recreational trail, a green transportation network, and multiple opportunities for environmental restoration. Community parks include South Park, Buford Watson Park, Broken Arrow Park, Riverfront Park, Holcomb Park, "Dad" Perry Park, Centennial Park and Prairie Park. Cemeteries include Oak Hill, Maple Grove and Memorial Park. The first cemetery in Lawrence, Pioneer Cemetery, is on
592-473: A Free-Stater, Charles W. Dow , with whom Coleman had long been engaged in a feud that was unrelated to local or national politics. Dow was the first American settler to be murdered in the Kansas Territory. The decision by Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones to arrest another Free-Stater rather than Coleman and the prisoner's subsequent rescue by a Free-State posse erupted into a conflict that pitted, for
740-434: A barbarous community and a civilized community can constitute one state. I think we must get rid of slavery, or we must get rid of freedom." In the coming weeks, many proslavery Democrats wore necklaces made from broken pieces of the cane as a symbol of solidarity with Preston Brooks. The violence continued to increase. John Brown led his sons and other followers to plan the murder of settlers who spoke in favor of slavery. At
888-459: A boost when acting territorial governor Daniel Woodson appointed the zealously proslavery settler Samuel J. Jones to the office of county sheriff. Then, in October 1855, the outspoken abolitionist John Brown arrived in the Kansas Territory; he brought with him a wagon-load of weapons with which he intended to use to fight off "Satan and his legions" (i.e., proslavery settlers). For much of 1855,
1036-425: A colony ... [Previously] Robinson [had journeyed to Kansas, during which] his party climbed the hill along this spur, and looked off over what was afterwards the site of Lawrence. They marked the beauty of the spot and the magnificence of the view. Whether they thought then of what might afterwards occur is not known; but when the time came to select a location for the first colony, Dr. Robinson remembered this view from
1184-662: A congressional committee arrived there to investigate voting fraud. The committee found that non-Kansas residents had illegally voted in the election, resulting in the proslavery government. President Pierce refused recognition of its findings and continued to authorize the proslavery legislature, which the Free State people called the "Bogus Legislature". On July 4, 1856, proclamations of President Pierce led to nearly 500 U.S. Army troops arriving in Topeka from Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley . With their cannons pointed at Constitution Hall and
1332-479: A dam across the Kansas River to help provide the city with power. After an ice jam broke loose and destroyed part of the incomplete dam in the winter of 1873, Darling resigned and left Lawrence shortly thereafter. The Lawrence Land & Water Company completed the dam anyway later that year, but damage to the dam from seasonal floods continued to plague the company, which went into receivership in 1878, after which it
1480-481: A defensive militia of 600–800 men armed with " Beecher's Bibles ". Robinson was chosen to direct the city's military operations, the future state senator James Lane was selected as his second-in-command, and a "committee of safety" was also created, which organized squads of about 20 men to keep watch over the city. Lawrence was additionally aided by John Brown and his four sons: John Jr., Oliver, Owen, and Watson. Five forts of earthwork or rifle pits were constructed, and
1628-682: A designated elevation of 866 feet (264 m), the highest elevation is Mount Oread on the University of Kansas campus with an elevation of 1,020 feet (310 m). The city lies on the southern edge of the Dissected Till Plains , bordering the Osage Plains to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 34.26 square miles (88.73 km ), of which, 33.56 square miles (86.92 km )
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#17330845900391776-487: A dozen members of the extralegal Free-State legislature (a rogue governing body set up in opposition to the official proslavery territorial government). During the commotion, Jones was non-fatally shot by a sniper named Charles Lenhart, and Lawrence residents promptly drove the sheriff out of town. The people of Lawrence disavowed the act, and they offered a $ 500 bounty for the sniper's arrest. A few weeks later, on May 11, Federal Marshal Israel B. Donaldson proclaimed
1924-460: A few " squatter settlements " in the area, especially just north of the Kansas River. Lawrence was founded "strictly for political reasons" having to do with slavery, which was heavily debated in the United States in the early to mid-1800s. Northern Democrats , led by Senators Lewis Cass of Michigan and Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, promoted " popular sovereignty " as a middle position on
2072-527: A free state was already solidly in place. In Kansas, however, the assumption of legal slavery underestimated abolitionist resistance to the repeal of the long-standing Missouri Compromise. Southerners saw the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act as an emboldening victory; Northerners considered it an outrageous defeat. Each side of the slavery question saw a chance to assert itself in Kansas, and it quickly became
2220-436: A free-state Methodist preacher from Missouri. His assailants surrounded his house, threatening violence and to destroy his property, but retreated after they saw a body of armed free-staters without injury to either side. The next day, a woman tore down a free-state man's tent. Pro-slavery men rallied to prevent the tent's reconstruction by a group of about 20 armed free-staters, but it was completed without violence. The next day,
2368-446: A meeting was held in Lawrence, at which resolutions were adopted intending to resist any laws that may be passed by the legislature, and they declared that the legislature was elected by "armed usurpers from Missouri". This paved the way for a larger convention on June 25. Between June 8 and August 15, 1855, seven meetings were held in Lawrence for the purposes of resisting the legislature. The free-state leaders sent George W. Deitzler to
2516-414: A missionary sent to Kansas from Middletown, New York . The first post office in Lawrence was established in January 1855, and E. D. Ladd was appointed the town's first postmaster . On January 10, 1855, the first school in Kansas was established in Lawrence by voluntary contributions, and it was taught by Edward P. Fitch. At the start of 1855, settlers who held opposing opinions about slavery settled in
2664-522: A national basis. It had two different capitals (proslavery Lecompton and antislavery Lawrence , then Topeka), two different constitutions (the proslavery Lecompton Constitution and the antislavery Topeka Constitution ), and two different legislatures (the so-called "bogus legislature" in Lecompton and the antislavery body in Lawrence). Both sides sought and received help from outside, the proslavery side from
2812-586: A new city hall next to the Bowersock Plant. The first wind-powered mill in Kansas was built in Lawrence in 1863 near the corner of what is now 9th Street and Emery Road. It was partially destroyed during Quantrill's Raid, but it was rebuilt in 1864 at a cost of $ 9,700. It continued to be operational until July 1885, but on April 30, 1905, it was destroyed in a fire. In 1884 the United States Indian Industrial Training School
2960-587: A new precedent in the ongoing debate over slavery. In May 1854, the Kansas–Nebraska Act created from Indian lands the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska for settlement by U.S. citizens. The act was proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois as a way to appease Southern representatives in Congress, who had resisted earlier proposals to admit states from the Nebraska Territory because of
3108-448: A number of children, and several musicians. A third group of settlers arrived in the vicinity of the future city on October 8–9, but many "became disgusted by the outlook" of the settlement and returned to New England, feeling they had been "deceived" by the NEEAC. A fourth group of settlers arrived on October 30, followed by a fifth on November 20 and a sixth on December 1. On September 18,
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#17330845900393256-461: A peace agreement between Robinson and Lane and David Rice Atchison . The conflict had one other fatality, when Free-Stater Thomas Barber was shot and killed near Lawrence on December 6. On May 21, 1856, proslavery Democrats and Missourians invaded Lawrence, Kansas, and burned the Free State Hotel, destroyed two antislavery newspaper offices, and ransacked homes and stores in what became known as
3404-575: A philanthropist who also funded buildings for the University of Kansas and two local hospitals, donated the bank building to the city to use as a city hall. In 1970, the city built a new city hall and after extensive renovations, the bank reopened in 1975 as the Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum . In 1903, the Kansas River flooded causing property damage in Lawrence, especially North Lawrence. The water got as high as 27 feet and water marks can still be seen on some buildings especially at TeePee Junction at
3552-461: A position to seriously threaten the newly recognized free state government in Kansas. Nevertheless, following the commencement of the American Civil War in 1861, additional guerrilla violence erupted on the border between Kansas and Missouri and sporadically continued until the end of the war. In 2006, federal legislation defined a new Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) and
3700-461: A proslavery settlement at Pottawatomie Creek on the night of May 24, the group seized five proslavery men from their homes and hacked them to death with broadswords . Brown and his men escaped and began plotting a full-scale slave insurrection to take place at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, with financial support from Boston abolitionists. The proslavery territorial government, serving under President Pierce, had been relocated to Lecompton. In April 1856,
3848-401: A single Carolina Street near Lawrence High School , and the names of nine states (Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wyoming) were never given to streets. The state street naming system was abandoned after the establishment of Iowa Street, which runs through the center of Lawrence. In 1913, the east–west streets were renamed to numbered streets. Lawrence
3996-404: A sizeable band of pro-slavery men appeared, threatening a repeat of the attack, but upon seeing their opponents ready, they retreated with renewed threats of vengeance. When the settlers arrived, most had called their fledgling city simply Wakarusa, after the nearby river of the same name, but other names were considered, such as New Boston (in recognition of both the NEEAC's city of operation and
4144-566: A slave state". This was largely because nearby Missouri allowed slavery, and many rightly assumed the first settlers in Kansas Territory would come from Missouri, bringing their penchant for slavery with them. In time, anger at the Kansas-Nebraska Act united antislavery forces into a movement committed to stopping the expansion of slavery, eventually institutionalized as the Republican Party . Many slavery opponents decided to "meet
4292-474: A solid defense was prepared. While both sides were ready for a fight, an outright clash between the two militias was prevented at least in part by the harsh Kansas winter. On December 8, Shannon had had enough and ordered representatives from both sides to meet at the proslavery stronghold of Franklin to sign a peace treaty. Terms were agreed to, and eventually, after much persuading, the Missouri army reluctantly left
4440-473: A state in 1861 that those attempts saw any real fruition. An institute of learning was proposed in 1859 as The University of Lawrence, but it never opened. When Kansas became a state, provision was included in the Kansas Constitution for a state university. From 1861 to 1863 the question of where the university would be located—Lawrence, Manhattan or Emporia —was debated. On January 13, 1863, Manhattan
4588-694: A stronghold for Jayhawker guerilla units (also known as "Red Legs"), led by James Lane, James Montgomery , and "Doc" Jennison , among others. These groups raided parts of western Missouri, stealing goods and burning down farms; it was a common belief by Southerners that the goods snatched by these Jayhawkers were stored in Lawrence. On August 21, 1863, Lawrence was attacked and destroyed by William Quantrill and hundreds of his irregular Confederate raiders . Most houses and businesses in Lawrence were burned and between 150 and 200 men and boys were murdered, leaving 80 widows and 250 orphans. About $ 2,000,000 worth of property (equivalent to $ 49,491,892 in 2023)
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4736-537: Is an extensive open space in the southern part of the city that features wetlands, native plants, hiking and biking trails, and interpretative signage about the prairie and wetland ecosystems. Lawrence has 54 parks which include community and neighborhood parks, trails, cemeteries and nature preserves. A new, multi-use trail system called the Lawrence Loop ("the Loop") encircles the city and, when fully completed, will create
4884-732: Is designated by neighborhoods. Neighborhoods closest to downtown are Old West Lawrence, North Lawrence, East Lawrence, Oread, Hancock and Pinkney. The neighborhoods west of Iowa Street are Sunset Hills, Prairie Meadows, Deerfield, and Alvamar. There are several neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Old West Lawrence, Oread, Hancock, Breezedale, and most of Rhode Island Street in East Lawrence. Bleeding Kansas Antislavery settler victory Antislavery settlers ( Free-Staters ) Pro-slavery settlers ( Border ruffians ) Bleeding Kansas , Bloody Kansas , or
5032-659: Is land and 0.70 square miles (1.81 km ) is water, and is split between Wakarusa Township and Grant Township with small portions in Lecompton , Kanwaka and Clinton Townships. Lawrence is between the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers. Several major creeks flow through Lawrence. Burroughs Creek in East Lawrence (named after the writer William S. Burroughs , who retired in East Lawrence) and Baldwin Creek in northwestern Lawrence empty into
5180-671: The Border War , was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory , and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas . The conflict was characterized by years of electoral fraud , raids, assaults, and murders carried out in the Kansas Territory and neighboring Missouri by proslavery " border ruffians " and retaliatory raids carried out by antislavery " free-staters ". According to Kansapedia of
5328-480: The Border War Encyclopedia , "Politics had not motivated Coleman to kill Dow, but the murder marked the genesis of the violent political divisions that characterized Kansas for the next 10 years." When Jones investigated the crime, Coleman argued he had acted in self-defense . The sheriff sided with his proslavery compatriot and chose to instead arrest Dow's free state affiliate Jacob Branson for disturbing
5476-536: The Boston -based New England Emigrant Aid Company , founded shortly before passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act with the specific goal of assisting anti-slavery immigrants to reach Kansas Territory. In a colorful story that may be legend, the abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher , Harriet Beecher Stowe 's brother, shipped them Sharps rifles in crates labelled "Bibles"; they became known as Beecher's Bibles . Despite boasts that 20,000 New England Yankees would be sent to
5624-720: The Herald of Freedom , edited by George W. Brown, and the Kansas Pioneer , edited by John Speer, renamed the Kansas Tribune after Speer discovered a proslavery Kansas Pioneer newspaper existed. A third paper, the Kansas Free State , was also created by editors Robert Gaston Elliott and Josiah Miller, and began publication in early January 1855. The Plymouth Congregational Church was started in September 1854 by Reverend S. Y. Lum,
5772-482: The Journal-World ' s web site was migrated from Django to the blogging-centric content management system Wordpress. On May 1, 2019, the Journal-World ' s offices moved from the historic post office building on 7th and New Hampshire Streets to an office in North Lawrence . The building is now occupied by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. On May 16, 2020, the front page of the Journal-World announced that
5920-539: The Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers. As of the 2020 census , the population of the city was 94,934. Lawrence is a college town and the home to both the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University . Lawrence was founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC) and was named for Amos A. Lawrence , an abolitionist from Massachusetts , who offered financial aid and support for
6068-573: The Kansas Crusader for Freedom , "Immense crowds had gathered [in Boston] at the station to give them a parting God-speed. They moved out of the station amid the cheering of the crowds who lined the track for several blocks." In late July, the group met Robinson in St. Louis , and he discussed the next leg of the journey with them and provided them with transportation. The pioneers arrived in Kansas Territory near
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6216-645: The Kansas Historical Society , 56 political killings were documented during the period, and the total may be as high as 200. It has been called a Tragic Prelude , or an overture, to the American Civil War , which immediately followed it. The conflict centered on the question of whether Kansas, upon gaining statehood, would join the Union as a slave state or a free state . The question was of national importance because Kansas's two new senators would affect
6364-477: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska —which passed Congress in 1854. The Christian abolitionist and Protestant minister Richard Cordley later noted that after the bill became law, "there was a feeling of despondency all over the north" because its passage "opened Kansas to [the possibility of] slavery [which many] thought [was] equivalent to making Kansas
6512-495: The Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had explicitly forbidden the practice of slavery in all U.S. territory north of 36°30' latitude and west of the Mississippi River , except in the state of Missouri. Southerners feared the incorporation of Nebraska would upset the balance between slave and free states and thereby give abolitionist Northerners an advantage in Congress. Douglas's proposal attempted to allay these fears with
6660-709: The Sacking of Lawrence . A cannon used during the Mexican–American War, called the Old Kickapoo or Kickapoo Cannon, was stolen and used on that day by a proslavery group including the Kickapoo Rangers of the Kansas Territorial Militia . It was later recovered by an anti-slavery faction and returned to the city of Leavenworth . In May 1856, Republican Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts took to
6808-509: The Topeka Constitution . Charles L. Robinson , a Massachusetts native and agent of the New England Emigrant Aid Company , was elected territorial governor. Reeder had not been elected but appointed by President Pierce, at whose pleasure he served. Pierce fired him on August 16, 1855, replacing him with the very pro-Southern Wilson Shannon . Reeder left the territory and found it prudent to do so in disguise. Pierce refused to recognize
6956-406: The U.S. Congress maintained a tenuous balance of political power between Northern and Southern representatives. At the same time, the increasing emigration of Americans to the country's western frontier and the desire to build a transcontinental railroad that would connect the eastern states with California urged incorporation of the western territories into the Union. The inevitable question
7104-476: The de facto capital of Kansas Territory from 1858 until 1861 (although Lecompton was still the de jure seat of the governing body). On October 4, 1859, the Wyandotte Constitution was approved in a referendum by a vote of 10,421 to 5,530, and after its approval by the U.S. Congress, Kansas was admitted as a free state on January 29, 1861. By the time the Wyandotte Constitution was framed in 1859, it
7252-542: The "Powerhouse of the West" with victories over Oklahoma A&M, Kansas State, Texas, and Nebraska. The Olympian Jim Thorpe graduated from the program. The last high school class graduated in 1965, the school was transitioning to post-high school education. In 1970, the school became known as Haskell Indian Junior College, and in 1993, "Haskell Indian Nations University". In 1929 Lawrence began celebrating its 75th anniversary. The city dedicated Founder's Rock, commonly referred to as
7400-474: The Emigrant Aid Company. Others hoped that if they named their town after him, Lawrence would be inclined to support them with monetary donations, which proved correct. Another factor making "Lawrence" a popular choice was that it had "no bad odor attached to it in any part of the Union". On October 1, the settlement's leaders voted to approve "Lawrence" as the name of their new city, and on October 17,
7548-568: The Free-State legislature. In a message to Congress on January 24, 1856, Pierce declared the Topeka government "insurrectionist". The presence of dual governments was symptomatic of the strife brewing in the territory and further provoked supporters of both sides of the conflict. In response to the disputed votes and rising tension, Congress sent a three-man special committee to the Kansas Territory in 1856. The committee reported, in July 1856, that if
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#17330845900397696-631: The Kansas River. Yankee Tank Creek in southwest Lawrence and an unnamed creek that flows through central Lawrence converge with the Wakarusa River south of the city. Yankee Tank Creek is dammed to form Lake Alvamar, which was originally called Yankee Tank Lake. The Wakarusa River was dammed to form Clinton Lake . Potter Lake is on the University of Kansas Campus and Mary's Lake is in southeastern Lawrence within Prairie Park. The Haskell-Baker Wetlands , maintained by Haskell University and Baker University ,
7844-458: The Kansas Territory and swayed the vote in the election for a nonvoting delegate to Congress in favor of proslavery Democratic candidate John Wilkins Whitfield . The following year, a congressional committee investigating the election reported that 1,729 fraudulent votes were cast compared to 1,114 legal votes. In one location, only 20 of the 604 voters were residents of the Kansas Territory; in another, 35 were residents and 226 nonresidents. At
7992-457: The Kansas Territory around the Lawrence area and began to vie for political power. Secret societies, called Blue Lodges, were created, and their sole purpose was to make Kansas a slave state. Their plan was to come into Kansas on the day of the election and vote so as to gain control of the legislature. Before the election, a census determined Kansas had a population of 8,601 with 2,905 of them being voters. Lawrence, specifically, had 369 voters. At
8140-418: The Kansas Territory held the election for its first territorial legislature. Crucially, this legislature would decide whether the territory would allow slavery. Just as had happened in the election of November 1854, "Border Ruffians" from Missouri again streamed into the territory to vote, and proslavery delegates were elected to 37 of the 39 seats— Martin F. Conway and Samuel D. Houston from Riley County were
8288-573: The Kansas Territory to establish residency and gain the right to vote. Among the first settlers of Kansas were citizens of slave states, especially nearby Missouri, many of whom strongly supported Southern ideologies and emigrated to Kansas specifically to assist the expansion of slavery. Proslavery immigrants settled towns, including Leavenworth and Atchison . The administration of President Franklin Pierce appointed territorial officials in Kansas aligned with its own proslavery views, and heeding rumors that
8436-458: The Kansas Territory, and a new territorial governor, John W. Geary , took office and managed to prevail upon both sides for peace. This was followed by a fragile peace broken by intermittent violent outbreaks for two more years. The last major outbreak of violence was touched off by the Marais des Cygnes massacre in 1858, in which Border Ruffians killed five Free State men. In the so-called Battle of
8584-519: The Kansas Territory, only about 1,200 settlers had emigrated there by the end of 1855. Nevertheless, aid movements like these, heavily publicized by the Eastern press, played a significant role in creating the nationwide hysteria over the fate of Kansas, and were directly responsible for the establishment of towns which later became strongholds of Republican and abolitionist sentiment, including Lawrence, Topeka, and Manhattan, Kansas . On March 30, 1855,
8732-489: The Mississippi. Like many others in Congress, Douglas assumed that settlers of Nebraska would ultimately vote to prohibit slavery and that settlers of Kansas, further south and closer to the slave state of Missouri, would vote to allow it, and thereby the balance of slave and free states would not change. Regarding Nebraska, this assumption was correct; the idea of slavery had little appeal for Nebraska's residents and its fate as
8880-550: The NEEAC was soliciting some of its members to settle in Kansas. At first, the NEEAC wanted to send a somewhat sizeable group of settlers to claim the land, but a cholera outbreak in the Missouri Valley prevented it. In the end, a group of only 29 men—which Eli Thayer later called the "pioneer colony"—volunteered for the job. Led by Branscomb, these pioneers left Boston , Massachusetts, and set out for Kansas Territory on July 17, 1854; according to Thayer's antislavery newspaper
9028-544: The National Labor Relations Board, and after a count on Dec. 28, 2020, the guild voted to be represented by the United Media Guild, Local 34067 with The NewsGuild-CWA. Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas , United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70 , between
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#17330845900399176-454: The Senate floor with a heavy cane. The action electrified the nation, brought violence to the floor of the Senate, and deepened the North–South split. After nearly killing Sumner, Brooks was praised by Southern Democrats for the attack. Many pro-slavery newspapers concluded that abolitionists in Kansas and beyond "must be lashed into submission," and hundreds of Southern Democrat lawmakers after
9324-603: The Shunganunga Boulder, a huge red boulder brought to Lawrence from near Tecumseh . The rock honors the two parties of the Emigrant Aid Society who first settled in Lawrence. Lawrence also dedicated the Lawrence Municipal Airport on October 14. In 1943, the federal government transported German and Italian prisoners of World War II to Kansas and other Midwest states to work on farms and help solve
9472-687: The Simons family announced the sale of the Journal-World after 125 years of ownership, to another long-running family-owned company, Ogden Newspapers of Wheeling, West Virginia . Also in 2016, the family's WorldWest, LLC, which owned newspapers in Arizona (the Payson Roundup ) and Colorado (the Steamboat Pilot & Today , and the Craig Daily Press ), announced their sale to other owners. In June 2018,
9620-542: The South or supported slavery. The congressional legislative deadlock was broken in early 1861, when following the election of Abraham Lincoln as President , seven Southern states seceded from the Union. Kansas's entry as a free state had already been approved by the House of Representatives, but had been blocked by Southern senators. When, early in 1861, the senators of the seceding states withdrew from Congress or were expelled, Kansas
9768-665: The Spurs , in January 1859, John Brown led escaped slaves through a proslavery ambush en route to freedom via Nebraska and Iowa; not a shot was fired. About 56 people, though, died in Bleeding Kansas by the time the violence ended in 1859. There were still ongoing acts of violence even after Kansas adopted a free state constitution in 1859. In 1860, the Indian agent Col. Cowan and sixty United States dragoons burned down many free state supporting settlers' homes, while sparing settlers who came from
9916-572: The Topeka government was extralegal, Congress rejected ratification of the Topeka Constitution. Pierce was succeeded in 1857 by James Buchanan . Like his predecessor, Buchanan was a Northerner sympathetic to the South and proslavery interests. That year, a second constitutional convention met in Lecompton, and by early November had drafted the Lecompton Constitution , a proslavery document endorsed by President Buchanan. The constitution
10064-436: The U.S. 24–40 intersection and at Burcham Park. Lawrence would be hit by other floods in 1951, where the water rose over 30 feet, and in 1993 but with the reservoir and levee system in place, Lawrence only had minimal damage compared to the other floods. Also in 1903, Theodore Roosevelt visited Lawrence on his way to Manhattan where he gave a short speech and dedicated a fountain at 9th & New Hampshire. The fountain
10212-400: The United States House of Representatives], Amos A. Lawrence [a Republican abolitionist and businessman], and others, began their work at once, arousing public interest and making arrangements to facilitate emigration to Kansas. As early as June, 1854, they sent Dr. Charles Robinson , of Fitchburg , and Mr. Charles H. Branscomb , of Holyoke , to explore the territory and select a site for
10360-419: The University of Kansas campus and is maintained by KU. Lawrence has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The hottest temperature recorded in Lawrence was 114 °F (45.6 °C) on August 10, 1934 and August 14, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was −25 °F (−31.7 °C) on February 12, 1899. The early settlers of
10508-481: The World Company, which owns the Lawrence Journal-World , sold some of its news media business to Internet and cable provider Knology for $ 165 million. The sale included 6 News , the Lawrence area's local television news channel. In 2014, the on-site printing of the newspaper ended, with printing moving to The Kansas City Star ' s production facility in Kansas City, Missouri . Production, editing, and administrative functions remained in Lawrence. In June 2016,
10656-419: The act had interfered with the legal execution of warrants against select antislavery settlers. This proclamation was bolstered by a Kansas grand jury's presentment that "the building known as the 'Free State' Hotel' [ sic ] in Lawrence had been constructed with a view to military occupation and defence, regularly parapetted and port holed, for the use of cannon and small arms, thereby endangering
10804-548: The area. This conflict, despite its rather diminutive size and scale, would later be known as the " Wakarusa War ". In the spring of 1856, the proslavery forces, hoping to diminish the power of the anti-slavery settlers, singled out the Kansas Free State , the Herald of Freedom , and the Free State Hotel (the latter of which the NEEAC owned and operated) as "nuisances" that needed to be stopped. On April 23, 1856 Sheriff Jones entered Lawrence and attempted to arrest about
10952-421: The attack sent Brooks new canes as an endorsement of the attack, with one of the canes being inscribed with the phrase "hit him again." Towns and counties renamed themselves to honor Brooks ( Brooksville, Florida , Brooks County, Georgia , and others). Two weeks after the attack, American philosopher and Harvard graduate Ralph Waldo Emerson condemned Brooks and the pro-slavery lawmakers, stating: "I do not see how
11100-466: The balance of power in the U.S. Senate, which was bitterly divided over the issue of slavery. The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 called for popular sovereignty : the decision about slavery would be made by popular vote of the territory's settlers rather than by legislators in Washington, D.C. Existing sectional tensions surrounding slavery quickly found focus in Kansas. Missouri, a slave state since 1821,
11248-425: The border with Missouri, where it reconvened, adopted a slave code for Kansas modeled largely on that of Missouri, and began passing laws favorable to slaveholders. Free-Staters quickly elected delegates to a separate legislature based in Topeka, which proclaimed itself the legitimate government and called the proslavery government operating in Lecompton "bogus". This body created the first territorial constitution,
11396-509: The citizens drew territory lots so as to begin erecting homes and businesses. Around this time, the settlers got into a heated argument with pro-slavery squatters, who were hoping to establish a city named Excelsior on the land where Lawrence was being constructed. These pro-slavers threatened violence against anyone who stood in their way, but eventually acquiesced to the New Englanders, and no open conflict occurred. In early October 1854,
11544-458: The citizens of Lawrence hoped the officers would leave peacefully, this did not come to pass. Donaldson dismissed his men, who Jomes immediately deputized . The sheriff was then joined by more followers and together they began to sack the city . After seizing the house of Charles Robinson (who had recently been arrested in Missouri, and was held in prison near Lecompton on grounds of treason) to serve as his headquarters, Jones and his men attacked
11692-440: The citizens of Lawrence then attempted to secure an "official" city charter from the extralegal Free-State legislature before issuing one themselves. This act was seen as one of bold-faced insurrection by the newly-installed territorial governor Robert J. Walker ; as a result, on July 15, 1857 Walker ordered William S. Harney to send a regiment of soldiers to watch over the city and impose martial law . These troops remained in
11840-408: The city for defense. To calm the increasingly belligerent settlers, the governor of the Kansas Territory, Wilson Shannon , called on the Kansas militia to intervene. Shannon had intended for the militia to be composed of Kansans, but Jones mustered a small army of 1,200–1,500 proslavery men, all but about 50 came from Missouri. When the citizens of Lawrence learned of Jones's army, they raised up
11988-494: The city was thoroughly ransacked, the human cost of the attack was low: only one person—a member of Jones's posses—died during the attack when he was struck by a piece of falling masonry. In late September 1856, another sack seemed nigh when, according to the Kansas State Board of Agriculture 1878 Biennial Report, "2,700 proslavery men appeared in sight of Lawrence, and the city was temporarily defended by Free-State men, under
12136-509: The command of Maj. J. B. Abbott". However, this threat was neutralized when the recently-installed territorial governor John W. Geary realized what was about to happen and called for federal reinforcements to defend the city. In both 1855 and 1857, Lawrence received a charter from the proslavery government in Lecompton, but the citizens, being adamant in their opposition to the "Bogus Legislature", refused to accept it, as it would have organized Lawrence under proslavery laws. In July 1857,
12284-411: The convention settled upon] ... than any other State in the Union." The Tribune ' s first mention of "bleeding Kansas" is in a poem by Charles S. Weyman, published on September 13, 1856: Far in the West rolls the thunder – The tumult of battle is raging Where bleeding Kansas is waging War against Slavery! Immediately, immigrants supporting both sides of the slavery question arrived in
12432-531: The document by 11,812 to 1,926. While the Lecompton Constitution was pending before Congress, a third document, the Leavenworth Constitution , was written and passed by Free State delegates. It was more radical than other Free-State proposals in that it would have extended suffrage to "every male citizen," regardless of race . Participation in this ballot on May 18, 1858, was a fraction of
12580-452: The early colonists convened and established a "voluntary municipal government", and by September 20, the settlers had approved a constitution that included principles of prohibitionatory Maine law to govern their town. The settlement was created against threats by pro-slavery men that the free-staters ought to be "driven from the country". The first rally of forces from Lawrence was the night of September 30, done to protect Thomas J. Ferril,
12728-718: The early confrontation of the Bleeding Kansas era centered formally on the creation of a constitution for the future state of Kansas. The first of four such documents was the Topeka Constitution , written by antislavery forces unified under the Free-Soil Party in December 1855. This constitution was the basis for the Free-State territorial government that resisted the federally authorized government, elected by Missourians who, congressional investigation soon revealed, committed fraud by voting in Kansas as residents and then returning to Missouri. On June 30, 1856, after Pierce's declaration that
12876-573: The east to secure weapons from other anti-slavery people. Amos Lawrence and others sent crates full of rifles, to which they labeled "books" because "the border ruffians had no use for books, [and] they came through without being disturbed." With the help of Horace Greeley , a howitzer was sent to Lawrence. On August 27, 1855, the proslavery faction in Douglas County (based primarily out of the territorial capital, Lecompton , as well as smaller satellite settlements like Franklin and Lone Star ) got
13024-456: The election of March 30, 1855, had been limited to "actual settlers", it would have elected a Free-State legislature. The report also stated that the legislature actually seated in Lecompton "was an illegally constituted body, and had no power to pass valid laws". In other words, the Free-Staters' allegations of fraud were well founded, and the Lecompton legislature was indeed bogus. Much of
13172-645: The end of July, and at about noon on August 1, they ate their first meal on Hogback Ridge itself, which was soon renamed Mount Oread after the Oread Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts . Immediately thereafter, about half this party set off to claim land in the nearby countryside, where about 15 of the original settlers remained, and began to establish a city between Mount Oread and the Kansas River roughly where Massachusetts Street now runs. While all of this
13320-514: The end of the year, allowing the Francis family to focus on supplying uniforms and equipment to teams. In the early 1980s, Lawrence grabbed attention from the television movie The Day After . The TV movie first appeared on ABC but was later shown in movie theaters around the world. The movie depicted what would happen if the United States were destroyed in a nuclear war . The movie was filmed in Lawrence, and hundreds of local residents appeared in
13468-404: The federal government also erected several military posts on Mount Oread (among them Camp Ewing, Camp Lookout, and Fort Ulysses) to keep guard over the city. However, no further attacks were made on Lawrence, and these installations were eventually abandoned and dismantled after the war. Attempts to begin a university in Kansas were first undertaken in 1855, but it was only after Kansas became
13616-496: The federal government: Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan openly helped the proslavery partisans. Both claimed to reflect the will of the people of Kansas. The proslavers used violence and threats of violence, and the free-soilers responded in kind. After much commotion, including a congressional investigation, it became clear that a majority of Kansans wanted Kansas to be a free state, but this required congressional approval, which Southerners in Congress blocked. Kansas
13764-591: The film as extras and in speaking roles. In 2020, a report commissioned by the Lawrence City Council concluded the city needed to promote a vital expansion or risk turning into an unaffordable albatross, saying "If Lawrence doesn't attract more kinds of businesses, it could become a bedroom community that’s not affordable for people who don't commute elsewhere." Lawrence is located approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Topeka , and 35 mi (56 km) west of Kansas City, Kansas . Though Lawrence has
13912-404: The first election on November 29, 1854 to elect Congressional delegates, there was a commotion; it ended with a man named Henry Davis attacking a free-stater man named Lucius Kibbee with an Arkansas toothpick knife. The fight ended when Kibbee shot Davis, making this Kansas's first homicide. By the end of 1854, two newspapers touting the free state mission had been established in the town:
14060-442: The first governor of the Kansas Territory, Andrew Horatio Reeder , arrived, had a reception and a festival, and after a welcoming speech by Pomeroy, made a conciliatory speech urging harmony and order, while evading the slavery question. Lawrence's first winter was characterized by great hardship, as the people predominantly lived in sod houses and " shanties made of clap-boards". About two miles (3.3 km) south of Lawrence, at
14208-516: The first time, armed pro-slavery settlers against antislavery settlers. Governor Wilson Shannon called for the Kansas militia, but the assembled army was composed almost entirely of proslavery Missourians, who camped outside the town of Lawrence with stolen weapons and a cannon. In response, Lawrence raised its own militia, led by Charles L. Robinson , the man elected governor by the Topeka legislature, and James H. Lane . The parties besieging Lawrence reluctantly dispersed only after Shannon negotiated
14356-470: The first touch-typing class in Kansas. In 1887 the name was changed to the Haskell Institute, after Dudley Haskell , a legislator responsible for the school being in Lawrence. In 1993 the name was changed again to Haskell Indian Nations University . In 1888, Watkins National Bank opened at 11th and Massachusetts. Founded by Jabez B. Watkins, the bank would last until 1929. Watkin's widow Elizabeth ,
14504-426: The floor to denounce the threat of slavery in Kansas and humiliate its supporters. Sumner accused Democrats in support of slavery of lying in bed with "the harlot of slavery" on the House floor during his "Crimes Against Kansas" speech. He had devoted his enormous energies to the destruction of what Republicans called the slave power , that is the efforts of slave owners to control the federal government and ensure both
14652-552: The founding of the University of Kansas in 1865 and Haskell Indian Nations University in 1884. The Kaw people , also known as the Kansa, settled the region including what is now Lawrence in the late 17th or early 18th century. A series of treaties with the U.S. government compelled the Kaw to relinquish the land to the Shawnee and their Indian Reservation , established in 1830. The Kansas Territory
14800-403: The frontier was being overwhelmed by Northerners, thousands of nonresident slavery proponents soon entered Kansas with the goal of influencing local politics. Proslavery factions thereby captured many early territorial elections, often by fraud and intimidation. In November 1854, thousands of armed proslavery men known as " Border Ruffians " or "Southern Yankees", mostly from Missouri, poured into
14948-431: The hilltop, and this doubtless had much to do in the final decision. When he was asked, therefore, to go and explore the country with a view to locating colonies, it was not altogether an unknown land to him. Branscomb was tasked with exploring the Kansas River up to about Fort Riley , while Robinson scouted land near Fort Leavenworth and the nearby city of the same name ; after assessing the territory they had surveyed,
15096-422: The hometown of many early settlers). Meanwhile, settlers from Missouri derisively called it " Yankee Town", due to its New England connections. Another name considered around this time was Lawrence. Many approved of this name in honor of Amos A. Lawrence , an Ipswich -based businessman and noted abolitionist, who, Cordley writes, was "a man of wide personal influence" and "one of the first men of means" to fund
15244-399: The honor of the central business corridor), while those streets west of Massachusetts Street were named for states in order of admittance to the Union. East–west streets were named after "men who had done something in the sacred cause of liberty". Over the years, however, this plan became marred. A number of streets were placed in the wrong order, North and South Carolina were consolidated into
15392-510: The intention of finding a good place to settle. Their travels included what would become Lawrence, passing up on the spur of Hogback Ridge. The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed while they were in the territory, and they were instrumental in convincing others to come. In his book A History of Lawrence (1895), Cordley wrote: The most systematic and extensive movement [to populate Kansas], however, was made [by] " The New England Emigrant Aid Company " ... The men engaged in it, Eli Thayer [a Republican in
15540-751: The labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large internment camps were established in Kansas: Camp Concordia , Camp Funston (at Fort Riley ), Camp Phillips (at Salina under Fort Riley). Fort Riley established 12 smaller branch camps, including Lawrence. The camp in Lawrence was near 11th & Haskell Avenue near the railroad tracks. The camp would close by the end of 1945. In 1947, Gilbert Francis and his son George opened Francis Sporting Goods downtown, selling mostly fishing and hunting gear. In November 2014, Francis Sporting Goods, announced its retail business within what had become Lawrence's Downtown Historic District would close by
15688-406: The legislature election on March 30, 1855, about 700–1,000 armed pro-slavery men from Missouri voted at the election. They came in over 100 wagons, and they were armed with guns, rifles, pistols, and Bowie knives. They also brought two pieces of artillery. Due to their large numbers, they went unchallenged. They left for Missouri the next morning, having camped in Lawrence the night before. Silas Bond
15836-554: The long fuses lit, Colonel E.V. Sumner , cousin to the senator of the same name who was beaten on the Senate floor, ordered the dispersal of the Free State Legislature. In August 1856, thousands of proslavery men formed into armies and marched into Kansas. That month, Brown and several of his followers engaged 400 proslavery soldiers in the Battle of Osawatomie . The hostilities raged for another two months until Brown departed
15984-433: The militia would be called to carry out the arrests of those who broke Branson out of jail, but that they would likely use it as an excuse to destroy Lawrence. The rest of the city was unaware of the rescue at this time. It was decided that the men who broke Branson out of jail would need to keep out of the way. Robinson informed the others at a meeting of citizens that morning, to which they agreed. They then started preparing
16132-544: The nation's prevailing ideological battleground, and the most violent place in the country. The term "Bleeding Kansas" was popularized by Horace Greeley 's New-York Tribune . The Tribune ' s first reference to "Kansas, bleeding", came on June 16, 1856, in a report on the North American National Convention. There, a Colonel Perry of Kansas reported that "Kansas, bleeding at every pore, would cast more votes indirectly for [the presidential candidate
16280-487: The newspaper would cease publication of all Monday print editions as of May 25. On Sept. 28, 2020, the newsroom staff of the Journal-World publicly announced its plan to unionize as the Lawrence Journalism Workers Guild, or LJW Guild. Journal-World management and Ogden declined to voluntarily recognize the union through a card check. However, the journalists voted via a mail-in ballot election through
16428-433: The offices of the antislavery newspapers. The attackers smashed the presses, tossed the type into the nearby Kansas River, and threw printed copies of the newspapers into the wind. Afterward, the proslavery mob shot the Free State Hotel with a cannon and burnt it down. Jones and his men then pillaged $ 30,000 worth of valuables. When Jones left the city, he and his men lit Robinson's house on fire for good measure. Although
16576-440: The only Free-Staters elected. Free-Staters loudly denounced the elections as fraudulent. Territorial Governor Andrew Reeder pleased neither side when he invalidated, as tainted by fraud, the results in only 11 of the 40 legislative races. A special election was held on May 22 to elect replacements, and the results were dramatically different; eight of the 11 delegates elected in the special election were Free-Staters. This still left
16724-527: The organization of two territories instead of one, and with the inclusion of a "popular sovereignty" clause that would, like the condition previously prescribed for Utah and New Mexico, permit settlers of Kansas and Nebraska to vote on the legality of slavery in their own territories—a notion which directly contradicted and effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, as both Kansas and Nebraska were located entirely north of parallel 36°30' north and west of
16872-443: The peace . Branson was quickly rescued by Samuel Newitt Wood and a gang of Free-Staters by breaking him out of jail. He was rescued at one in the morning, just two hours after the arrest. As the gang of free-staters were heading back, they were unsure of what to do. They consulted with Charles Robinson, and they all realized the pro-slavery people would label this act of breaking someone out of jail as an insurrection. They realized
17020-400: The previous and there was even some opposition by Free-State Democrats. The proposed constitution was forwarded to the U.S. Senate on January 6, 1859, where it was met with a tepid reception and left to die in committee. The fourth and final Free State proposal was the Wyandotte Constitution , drafted in 1859, which represented the anti-slavery view of the future of Kansas. It was approved in
17168-565: The pro- and antislavery factions existed uneasily. Then on November 21, 1855, after an intense verbal altercation, the proslavery settler Franklin N. Coleman shot the Free-Stater Charles Dow in the head, killing him. The murder was the culmination of a long-simmering feud between them, as for some time they had bickered about a land claim near the Hickory Point post office, about 14 miles (23 km) south of Lawrence. According to
17316-611: The proslavery camp with an overwhelming 29–10 advantage. The proslavery legislature convened in the newly created territorial capital of Pawnee on July 2, 1855. The legislature immediately invalidated the results from the special election in May and seated the proslavery delegates elected in March. After only one week in Pawnee, the legislature moved the territorial capital to the Shawnee Mission , on
17464-521: The public safety, and encouraging rebellion and sedition in this country". Donaldson, Jones, and Missouri senator David Rice Atchison consequently raised another army of around 800 Southerners . Ostensibly this army's purpose was to enforce the legal arrest warrants, but the group was also motivated by a desire to stamp out the Free-Stater nest that was Lawrence. On May 21, Donaldson and Jones rode into town and arrested those who had evaded them. While
17612-466: The question [of slavery in Kansas] on the terms of the bill itself" by migrating to Kansas, electing antislavery legislators, and eventually banning slavery altogether. These settlers soon became known as " Free-Staters ". Even before the bill passed, some people already had this idea. In early May 1854, four men—Thomas W. and Oliver P. Barber, Samuel Walker, and Thomas M. Pearson—toured the new territory with
17760-412: The same time, Northern abolitionists encouraged their own supporters to move to Kansas in the effort to make the territory a free state, hoping to flood Kansas with so-called " Free-Soilers " or " Free-Staters ". By far the most famous of these, and their leader, was John Brown of Leavenworth , who moved from Ohio. Many citizens of Northern states arrived with assistance from benevolent societies such as
17908-530: The settlement. Lawrence was central to the Bleeding Kansas period (1854–1861), and the site of the Wakarusa War (1855) and the Sacking of Lawrence (1856). During the American Civil War it was also the site of the Lawrence massacre (1863). Lawrence began as a center of free-state politics. Its economy diversified into many industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and education, beginning with
18056-472: The slavery issue . Its proponents argued it was more democratic, as it allowed the citizens of newly organized territories (and not Washington, D.C. politicians) to have a direct say as to the legality of slavery in their own lands. (Meanwhile, enemies of the bill, especially in the north, derisively called this idea "squatter sovereignty". ) Douglas eventually made popular sovereignty the backbone of his Kansas–Nebraska Act —legislation that effectively repealed
18204-495: The streetcar company created Casey's Coaster (also known as Daisy's Dozer), a wooden roller coaster which lasted from 1909 to the 1920s, in Woodland Park. In 1921, Lawrence Memorial Hospital opened in the 300 block of Maine Street. It started with only 50 beds but by 1980, the hospital would expand to 200. In 1927, high school classes were offered at Haskell Institute. Haskell's Athletics were well-knock; they were known as
18352-448: The successor via the sale and/or consolidation of earlier Lawrence newspapers. One of those papers dated to 1858; for years, the Journal-World claimed an 1858 founding date. Wilford Collins Simons served as editor from 1891 until he died in 1952. He handed the paper to his son, Dolph Simons Sr., who in turn passed it to Dolph Simons Jr . In 2005, developers at the paper released the now-popular Django web framework . In October 2010,
18500-483: The survival and the expansion of slavery. In the speech (called "The Crime against Kansas") Sumner criticized South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler , portraying Butler's pro-slavery agenda towards Kansas with the raping of a virgin, and characterizing his affection for it in sexual terms. Two days later, Butler's cousin, the South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks , nearly killed Sumner on
18648-462: The territory. On January 16, 1858, Lawrence was declared the seat of Douglas County (an honor that previously belonged to Lecompton), and in February, the legislature approved the city charter that had been drafted a little less than a year prior in July. James Blood was then elected the first mayor of the city. Around this time, the antislavery legislature often met in Lawrence, which functioned as
18796-416: The town named the city's main road " Massachusetts " to commemorate the New England Emigrant Aid Company's home state . As laid out on the first map of Lawrence, the north–south streets to the east of Massachusetts Street were named for the original thirteen colonies running from the geographic south to the north, with only Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets out of order (guaranteeing Massachusetts Street
18944-429: The track just ran along Massachusetts Street. After the 1903 flood, the Kansas River bridge had to be rebuilt but was not considered safe for a streetcar to pass over. The Lawrence Street Railway Company closed later that year. In 1907, C.L. Rutter attempted to bring back a bus system, after having failed in 1902. In 1909, a new streetcar system was implemented putting Rutter out of business and lasting until 1935. In 1909,
19092-651: The two recommended the New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC) send its settlers to claim territory along the Oregon Trail near Hogback Ridge. The two likely chose this site because it was the "first desirable location where emigrant Indians had ceded their land rights". The area was also attractive because it was close to not only on the Oregon Trail, but also the Santa Fe and the 1846 Military Trails. Concurrent with Robinson and Branscomb's exploration,
19240-455: The vicinity of Lawrence until the territorial elections in October of that year. By this time, it seemed as if the struggles of Lawrence's early citizens were coming to fruition. In the election of 1857, free-staters gained the upper hand and were able to oust the proslavery majority from the territorial legislature. By the start of the next year, Samuel Jones—long the enemy of Lawrence's free state population—resigned his post as sheriff and left
19388-528: Was admitted to the Union as a free state the same day that enough Southern senators had departed, during the secession crisis that led to the Civil War, to allow it to pass (effective January 29, 1861). Partisan violence continued along the Kansas–Missouri border for most of the war, although Union control of Kansas was never seriously threatened. Bleeding Kansas demonstrated that armed conflict over slavery
19536-463: Was built in 1864, starting from Kansas City. It was surveyed by the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division, and the first train to Lawrence traveled on November 28, 1864. The first train to operate in Kansas south of the Kansas River did so by crossing the river in Lawrence on November 1, 1867. Facing an energy crisis in the early 1870s, the city contracted with Orlando Darling to construct
19684-419: Was clear the proslavery forces had lost in their bid to control Kansas. But while Kansas's entrance into the Union as a free state arguably ended the Bleeding Kansas period, it coincided with the outbreak of the American Civil War . Kansas's admission as a free state immediately followed the departure of the seceding states' pro-slavery congressmen, who until then had blocked it. During the war, Lawrence became
19832-427: Was completed with a zeal that Richard Cordley described as akin to "a religious obligation". Given the trauma of 1863, the citizens of Lawrence were on edge during this period of rebuilding; Cordley notes, "Rumors [of guerrilla attacks] were thick and the people [of Lawrence] were particularly sensitive to them." Consequently, Lawrence citizens organized themselves into companies to protect the city. Around this time,
19980-481: Was destroyed. The Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence survived the attack, but a number of its members were killed and its records were destroyed. Following the Lawrence Massacre, the survivors and their Unionist allies began to clean up the damage and restore their settlement. After a very bitter winter that forced the citizens to temporarily put their work on hold, rebuilding continued into 1864, and
20128-501: Was established in May 1854. During this period, the Oregon Trail ran parallel to the Kansas River , roughly through the area where Lawrence is now. A hill in the area, then known as Hogback Ridge and now known as Mount Oread , which sits on the water divide separating the Kansas and Wakarusa River , was used as a landmark and outlook by those on the trail. While the territory was technically closed to settlement until 1854, there were
20276-619: Was first issued by Simons on March 2, 1892. In 1905, the World acquired the Lawrence Journal , and merged the Journal and World in 1911 after a fire destroyed the offices of the Journal . The Lawrence Daily Journal title dates back to 1880, but was a continuation of the Republican Daily Journal which dates back to at least 1869. The Republican Daily Journal appears to have been
20424-532: Was how these territories would treat the issue of slavery when eventually promoted to statehood. This question had already plagued Congress during political debates following the Mexican–American War . The Compromise of 1850 had at least temporarily solved the problem by permitting residents of the Utah and New Mexico Territories to decide their own laws with respect to slavery by popular vote , an act which set
20572-514: Was immediately, within days, admitted to the Union as a free state, under the Wyandotte Constitution . While pro-Confederates in Missouri attempted to effect that state's secession from the Union, and succeeded in having a pro-Confederate government recognized by and admitted to the Confederacy, by the end of 1861, even that state was firmly in control of its Unionist government. Without control of Missouri , regular Confederate forces were never in
20720-568: Was later moved to South Park next to the gazebo. Roosevelt would visit Lawrence again in 1910 after visiting Osawatomie where he dedicated the John Brown State Historical Site and gave a speech on New Nationalism . In 1871, the Lawrence Street Railway Company opened and offered citizens easy access to hotels and businesses along Massachusetts Street . The first streetcar was pulled by horses and mules and
20868-441: Was made the site of the state's land-grant college , leaving only Lawrence and Emporia as candidates. The fact Lawrence had $ 10,000 plus interest donated by Amos Lawrence plus 40 acres (160,000 m ) to donate for the university had great weight with the legislature . Eventually, Lawrence beat out Emporia by one vote, and in 1866, the University of Kansas (KU) was opened to students. The first railroad that connected Lawrence
21016-513: Was opened in Lawrence, a Native American Boarding School with the goal of assimilation. Boys were taught the trades of tailor making, blacksmithing, farming and others while girls were taught cooking and homemaking. Most food was produced on site at the Haskell Farm and students were expected to work in addition to their training. In 1885, the school expanded to include academic training and a commercial department with five typewriters opened, starting
21164-405: Was populated by many settlers with Southern sympathies and pro-slavery views, some of whom tried to influence the Kansas decision by entering Kansas and claiming to be residents. The conflict was fought politically, and between civilians, where it eventually degenerated into brutal gang violence and paramilitary guerrilla warfare . Kansas had a state-level civil war that would soon be replicated on
21312-477: Was purchased by James H. Gower and his son-in-law, Justin DeWitt Bowersock . Only after Bowersock assumed responsibility for dam repairs in 1879 did regular damage to the dam cease. The Bowersock Dam , which remains the only hydropower dam in the state of Kansas, helped Lawrence establish itself as an industrial city. The dam closed in 1968 but was reopened in 1977 with help from the city, which wanted to build
21460-655: Was shot at and driven from the polls on the grounds he was "an obnoxious free-state man". 1,034 votes were cast in Lawrence, 232 of which were legal, with 802 being from non-residents. There were only 2,905 legal voters in the territory, but 6,307 votes were cast. The people appealed to Governor Andrew Reeder to set the election aside, to which he agreed initially, but after being threatened by pro-slavery people, he decided to hold another election in districts in which there were protests, such as Lawrence. The people of Lawrence felt this did nothing, and many were uncertain about what would happen or what they needed to do. In June 1855,
21608-493: Was submitted to Kansans for a vote on a special slavery article, but Free-Staters refused to participate, since they knew that the constitution would allow Kansas slaveholders to keep existing slaves even if the article in question was voted against. The Lecompton Constitution, including the slavery article, was approved by a vote of 6,226 to 569 on December 21. Congress instead ordered another election because of voting irregularities uncovered. On August 2, 1858, Kansas voters rejected
21756-484: Was unavoidable. Its severity made national headlines, which suggested to the American people that the sectional disputes were unlikely to be resolved without bloodshed, and it, therefore, acted as a preface to the American Civil War. The episode is commemorated with numerous memorials and historic sites. As abolitionism became increasingly popular in the United States and tensions between its supporters and detractors grew,
21904-509: Was unfolding, a followup party of 67, guided by Robinson and Samuel C. Pomeroy (an abolitionist and a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives), left Worcester, Massachusetts , on August 31; along the way to Kansas, settlers of similar political inclinations joined this group, and when the party reached its destination on September 9–11, it had grown to about 114 people. This second party included about ten women,
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