Pottawatomie massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pottawatomie Massacre |
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| Part of Bleeding Kansas | |
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| Location | Franklin County, Kansas |
| Coordinates | 38°26′14″N 95°6′32″W / 38.43722°N 95.10889°W |
| Date | May 23–24, 1856 |
| Target | Pro-slavery settlers |
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Attack type
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Mass murder, slashing, shooting |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Perpetrators | John Brown Pottawatomie Rifles |
The Pottawatomie massacre happened on the night of May 24–25, 1856, in the Kansas Territory. This event was a strong reaction by John Brown and a group of abolitionist settlers. They were upset by two main things: the sacking of Lawrence on May 21, and a severe attack on Senator Charles Sumner on May 22. Sumner had spoken out against slavery in Kansas.
John Brown and his group, some of whom were part of the Pottawatomie Rifles, attacked five pro-slavery settlers. They killed these men in front of their families, just north of Pottawatomie Creek in Franklin County, Kansas. This event became very famous during the "Bleeding Kansas" period. "Bleeding Kansas" was like a small civil war in the Kansas Territory. It was about whether Kansas would become a slave state or a free state. Many historians see it as a sad start to the American Civil War. The Pottawatomie massacre is one of John Brown's most debated actions.
Contents
Why the Massacre Happened: The Background
John Brown was very upset by the sacking of Lawrence. In this event, on May 21, 1856, the Sheriff of Douglas County, Samuel Jones, led a group that destroyed things belonging to anti-slavery people. They ruined the printing presses of two abolitionist newspapers, the Kansas Free State and the Herald of Freedom. They also destroyed the Free State Hotel and the home of Charles L. Robinson. Robinson was a leader of the "free state" government, which was against the pro-slavery government in Lecompton.
A local jury had ordered this attack. They said the hotel was used like a fort, and the newspapers were causing trouble. Pro-slavery newspapers celebrated this violence. They even said they would fight to make Kansas a slave state, even if it meant a lot of bloodshed.
Brown was angry that pro-slavery groups were so violent. He also felt that anti-slavery groups were not doing enough to fight back. He called them "cowards." Just two days before the massacre, Brown also heard about the caning of Senator Charles Sumner. Sumner, an abolitionist, was attacked by pro-slavery politician Preston Brooks right inside Congress.
The Attack: What Happened
A group of anti-slavery fighters, led by John Brown, Jr., started their journey. Another group from Osawatomie joined them. On May 22, 1856, they heard about the attack on Lawrence. They kept going towards Lawrence, not knowing if they were still needed. They camped near Ottawa Creek until May 23.
On May 23, John Brown Sr. chose a small group for a secret mission. His son, John Jr., didn't want them to leave, but his father insisted. John Sr. told him to "do nothing rash." The group included John Brown, four of his sons (Frederick, Owen, Salmon, and Oliver), Thomas Wiener, and James Townsley. Townsley later said Brown forced him to help.
They hid in a ravine until the evening of May 24. After dark, they started their "secret expedition." Late that night, they went to James P. Doyle's house. They took Doyle and his two adult sons, William and Drury, as prisoners. Doyle's 16-year-old son, John, was spared after his mother begged for his life. The three men were taken outside, where Owen Brown and his brother Frederick killed them.
Next, Brown and his group went to Allen Wilkinson's house and made him come out. Henry Thompson and Theodore Wiener killed him, possibly with help from Brown's sons. After that, they crossed the Pottawatomie Creek. After midnight, they forced their way into James Harris's cabin. Harris had three guests: John S. Wightman, Jerome Glanville, and William Sherman. Glanville and Harris were questioned outside. Brown's men were satisfied with their answers and let them go back inside. However, William Sherman was taken to the creek and killed by Wiener, Thompson, and Brown's sons.
The group learned that "Dutch Henry," their main target, was not home. So, they ended their mission and went back to their hiding spot. They rejoined the Osawatomie group on the night of May 25.
Before this massacre, there had been eight killings in Kansas related to slavery. But none were near Pottawatomie Creek. Brown killed five people in one night. This event was like a spark that set off a much bloodier time in "Bleeding Kansas." For three months afterward, there were many revenge attacks and battles, and 29 more people died.
People Killed in the Massacre
- James Doyle and his sons William and Drury
- Allen Wilkinson
- William Sherman
The Impact of the Massacre
The Pottawatomie massacre was called the "crowning horror" of the entire Bleeding Kansas period. News of the event spread quickly and shocked everyone. People were used to violence, but this was different. It meant that the extreme violence promoted by pro-slavery groups was now being used against them. It showed that there was a group fighting back just as fiercely. It meant that from then on, there would be quick revenge: "robbery for robbery—murder for murder."
Kansas Senator John James Ingalls said in 1884 that many anti-slavery settlers believed it was one of the most important events in Kansas history. They felt John Brown understood what needed to be done and was brave enough to do it. They believed the men killed were part of a plan to drive out or kill all anti-slavery people in the Pottawatomie Creek area.
John Brown's son Salmon, who was part of the attack, called it "the grandest thing that was ever done in Kansas."
Debate About John Brown's Actions
John Brown was not clear about his role in the massacre. But in Kansas, many people knew he was involved. A U.S. government committee investigating the problems in Kansas said Brown was the main person responsible. Later, after John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, some anti-slavery newspapers in the East denied he was involved.
Some people who defended Brown said the attack was revenge for other violent acts against anti-slavery people. However, critics disagree that these specific events happened.
Charles Robinson, the governor of Kansas, said that threats of violence were common on both sides. He felt that such threats did not justify killing pro-slavery men in the middle of the night. He said if everyone who made threats had been killed, no one would be left.
However, Robinson also said that the killings at Pottawatomie were like "a clap of thunder from a clear sky." He noted that pro-slavery men were shocked. Officials were scared by this new action from the anti-slavery settlers, who they thought were defeated. This was a type of fight they were not ready for.
Senator Ingalls said that every settler he knew from 1856 thought the massacre was one of the luckiest events in Kansas history. He said it saved the lives of anti-slavery men on the Creek. Those who carried out the act were seen as heroes.
