Pardee Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pardee Butler
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Butler's formal portrait
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| Born | March 9, 1816 |
| Died | October 20, 1888 |
| Occupation | Abolitionist, farmer, preacher |
| Political party | Republican |
Pardee Butler (born March 9, 1816, in Onondaga County, New York; died October 20, 1888, in Farmington, Atchison County, Kansas) was a farmer and a preacher. He moved to Kansas in 1855, a time when the area was facing big arguments about slavery. Butler is famous in Kansas history because people who supported slavery once forced him onto a raft and set him adrift on the Missouri River. They did this because he believed slavery should be ended.
Butler also helped start the Republican Party in Kansas. This party was created by people who were against slavery.
Early Life and Moving West
Pardee Butler's family came from New England. His parents were Phineas Butler and Sarah Pardee. Pardee was born in 1816. In 1818, his family moved west to Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio. Later, in 1839, they moved to northwestern Ohio. There, Pardee met Sibyl Carleton, and they got married on August 17, 1843.
Pardee worked as a farmer and also preached about his beliefs. He got sick with a throat infection called quinsy, which made it hard for him to preach. To help his health, he moved to Cedar County, Iowa in 1850. Over the next few years, he preached in different places in Illinois and Missouri. In early 1855, he finally arrived in Kansas.
Standing Up for What's Right
In the 1850s, Kansas was a territory where people strongly disagreed about slavery. Some wanted Kansas to be a "free state" (no slavery), while others wanted it to be a "slave state" (slavery allowed). Butler claimed 160 acres of land near Stranger Creek, about twelve miles from Atchison. His great-great-grandson still farms this land today! In June 1855, Butler gave the first Christian sermon in Kansas.
By mid-August, Butler had built a cabin. He stopped in Atchison on his way back to Illinois to bring his family to Kansas. It was there, on August 18, 1855, that the famous raft incident happened.
While in Atchison, Butler visited a newspaper office. He openly shared his views that Kansas should be a free state. The newspaper owner, Robert S. Kelley, quickly gathered a group of people who supported slavery. The next day, Kelley and his friends confronted Butler. They demanded he sign papers that said bad things about free-state supporters. Butler refused.
A large crowd gathered, and people argued about what to do with Butler. At first, some in the crowd even wanted to hang him! But Kelley, the newspaper owner, secretly changed the vote count to save Butler's life. Instead, the pro-slavery group decided to send Butler down the Missouri River on a raft.
They built a raft from two logs and put a flag on it. Butler was ordered to get on the raft. A small boat then towed the raft to the middle of the Missouri River and let it go. As the raft floated away, Butler bravely called out: "Gentlemen, if I am drowned (he could not swim) I forgive you; but I have this to say to you: If you are not ashamed of your part in this transaction, I am not ashamed of mine. Good-by."
Butler quickly pulled down the flag and used its pole as a paddle. He managed to steer the raft to the Kansas shore. News of this raft incident spread widely. It showed everyone that people in Kansas were ready to fight for their beliefs.
The next spring, on April 30, 1856, Butler passed through Atchison again. He was returning to his farm after preaching in Illinois. Kelley spotted him, and soon an angry crowd gathered. They wanted to shoot or hang him. After much discussion, they decided to cover him in tar and feathers instead. Butler's story about this event was published in many newspapers at the time.
The strong feelings that Butler faced continued to grow in Kansas and across the country. These disagreements eventually led to the American Civil War.
Later Life and Politics
After the Civil War, Butler kept farming and preaching. He also became very involved in the temperance movement. This movement worked to reduce or stop the use of alcohol. He spent a lot of time writing and giving speeches about temperance.
Pardee Butler was one of the people who helped start the Republican Party in Kansas in 1856. The Republican Party began in the early 1850s because people wanted to end slavery. In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Frémont was chosen to run for President. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president.
There is a family story about Pardee Butler and Abraham Lincoln. It was shared by writer Heywood Broun in 1936. The story says that Butler was a great speaker and helped write the free-state constitution for Kansas. Some historians even think he helped found the Republican Party.
His family tells a story about him coming home after giving a speech. His wife asked if there were any other speakers. Butler, who usually spoke alone, thought for a moment. Then he said, "Oh, yes, when I got done we heard a few words from a young Springfield lawyer named Lincoln."
Butler was also active in the 1872 presidential election. He spoke at a Republican meeting and helped choose the electors. Even though his friends often asked him to run for political office, Butler always said no. He believed that being a Christian preacher was the most important job on Earth.
On September 19, 1888, Butler was trying to get off a young horse when it kicked his right foot, crushing his ankle. His family hoped it would just be a crippled ankle. The first week looked promising, but in the second week, he became confused. He soon fell into a deep sleep and passed away on October 19, at the age of seventy-two.
