Lawrence Dudley Bailey facts for kids
Lawrence Dudley Bailey (born August 26, 1819 – died October 15, 1891) was an important American leader. He was an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. He also served as a judge on the highest court in Kansas, the Kansas Supreme Court, from 1861 to 1869.
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Early Life and Becoming a Lawyer
Lawrence Dudley Bailey was born in Sutton, New Hampshire. He grew up working on his family's farm until he was seventeen years old.
Even though he never went to college, he studied at several schools called academies. In 1837, he became an abolitionist. This meant he strongly believed that slavery should be ended. He often wrote articles for newspapers that supported the abolitionist cause.
Bailey wanted to become a lawyer. He "read law" with another lawyer named Mason W. Tappan. This means he learned law by studying with an experienced lawyer instead of going to law school. He became a lawyer on July 9, 1846.
He started his law practice in East Washington, New Hampshire in 1847. Later that year, he moved to Milford, New Hampshire, where he worked with another lawyer until 1849.
In 1849, Bailey moved to California during the exciting time of the California Gold Rush. He returned to New Hampshire in 1853 and continued his law work.
Moving to Kansas to Fight Slavery
On April 2, 1857, Bailey decided to move to Kansas. He had wanted to move to Minnesota, but he felt Kansas was in danger. Many people were worried Kansas might become a slave state.
Bailey worked hard to help Kansas become a free state. He was known for trying to save Kansas from slavery. Once, he even had to swim across the Kansas River at night. This happened in Lawrence, Kansas, during an attack by people who supported slavery, sometimes called "border ruffians."
In Kansas, he opened a law office near Emporia. He also wrote for a newspaper called the Emporia News. He helped a young man named Preston B. Plumb learn about law, just as he had learned. In November 1858, Bailey was elected to the state legislature.
Serving as a Judge and Helping Kansas Grow
In 1861, Kansas adopted a new constitution that made it a free state. Under this new constitution, Lawrence Dudley Bailey was elected as a Judge of the Kansas Supreme Court. He was reelected in 1862 and served for six years.
Bailey cared a lot about Kansas growing and developing. He helped create the first Board of Agriculture, which worked to improve farming in the state. He also played a big part in convincing the state government to start the State Normal School at Emporia. This school was important for training teachers.
In 1869, he was elected to the legislature again. In 1870, he founded the town of Lyndon, Kansas. Lyndon later became the main town, or county seat, of Osage County that same year. For a while, he was also the editor and publisher of a newspaper called the Cultivator and Herdsman. He often wrote for other newspapers too.
Later Life
In his later years, Bailey lived on a farm. On December 15, 1870, he married Elizabeth A. Peabody, who was a widow from Lawrence, Kansas. She lived longer than he did. Lawrence Dudley Bailey passed away on October 15, 1891.
