Sara Robinson was a New England settler married to a leader of the free-state movement, Charles Robinson. Well educated and antislavery, Sara Robinson was one of many northern women who wrote accounts of settling in Kansas. Such books detailed the hardships for women on the frontier as well as touching on the political conflict. Although in the nineteenth century women could not vote and were expected to confine themselves to the domestic sphere of housework and child care, women did express political views. Women had long been active in the antislavery movement. Sara Robinson’s book became a best seller, and she was one of the most effective propagandists the Free-State Party had during the summer of Bleeding Kansas. You can view a copy of the book here.
A few days before the thirtieth of March crowds of men might be seen wending their way to some general rendezvous in the various counties . . . in Missouri. They were rough, brutal looking men, of most nondescript appearance. They had, however, one mark upon them, a white or blue ribbon, to distinguish them from the settlers. This was wholly unnecessary, no one ever mistaking one of these men for an intelligent, educated settler in the territory. Those Missourians who did not feel the interest to come over to vote, paid their money, or contributed provisions and wagons for the new raid. The expenses of the vandal horde were paid, and they were en route again to overrun the fair country, with drunkenness, and fraud, and murder, if the cause demanded it. . . .
Provisions were sent ahead of the parties. . . . The polls were also opened. . . . Some of the party came in on the evening previous to the election, and on the morning of the thirtieth of March about one thousand men . . . came into Lawrence. They came in about one hundred and ten wagons, and upon horseback, with music, and banners flying. They were armed with guns, pistols, rifles and bowie-knives. They brought two cannon loaded with musket balls. . . .
Before the voting commenced, however, they said, that “if the judges appointed by the governor did not allow them to vote, they would appoint judges who would.” They did so in the case of Mr. Abbott, one of the judges, who had become indignant, all law being outraged, and resigned. . . . Soon after the voting commenced, . . . Col. Young offered his [vote], saying he was a resident of the territory, but refusing to take the oath. His vote was registered. When asked by Mr. Abbott “if he intended to make Kansas his future home,” he replied, that “it was none of his business”; that, “if he was a resident there, he should ask no more.” Col. Young then mounted on to the window-sill, telling the crowd “he had voted, and they could do the same.” He told the judges “it was no use swearing them, as they would all swear as he had done.” The other judges deciding to receive such votes, Mr. Abbott resigned.
The crowd was often so great around the log cabin, that many of the voters, having voted, were hoisted on to the roof of the building, thus making room for others. Afterwards, especially when the citizens began to vote, a passage-way was made through the crowd. Between a double file of armed men, while they were continually asking for the prominent men in Lawrence, their questions always coupled with threats of shooting, or hanging, our citizens passed to the polls. Several citizens of Lawrence were driven from the ground during the day, with threats of fatal violence. One man escaped by a perilous leap off the high bank of the river, several shots whizzing past him. . . .
Many of the Missourians left for home as soon as they had voted, while others remained until morning. . . . The whole number of names on the poll lists was one thousand and thirty-four, of which eight hundred and two were non-residents and illegal voters. . . .
Many of the men elected to the Legislature were, and still are, residents of Missouri. . . .
. . . This Legislature soon proposes to hold its session, and enact laws for the people of this territory. They, many of them residents of Missouri, and all of them elected by Missouri votes, ignorant and brutal men, having gained their election at the point of the bowie-knife, intend to enact laws to govern an enlightened and intelligent people. The question is, shall the laws, whatever they may be, be boldly repudiated as no laws for us, the makers being not of us; or shall the matter be delayed until the so-called Legislature meets? A few days will decide the course to be pursued by our people . . . and whatever is done will be done thoughtfully, and with a view to the greatest and most permanent good of the country. . . .
On the 2d of July, the Legislature, elected by Missourians, assembled. . . .
The laws passed by the Shawnee Legislature are of an intolerant, Draconian character, allowing to the people of this territory no rights. They are copied from the Missouri statute book, with the exception of those relating to the qualifications of voters of the Legislative Assembly, and the slave code, which are made especially to crush the people of this territory. They allow them no voice in those matters of government which most concern them.
The following is taken verbatim from the “Laws of the Territory of Kansas. . . .”
“Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Kansas, as follows:
“SECTION 1. That every person, bond or free, who shall be convicted of actually raising a rebellion or insurrection of slaves, free negroes or mulattoes, in this territory, shall suffer death.
“SEC. 2. Every free person who shall aid or assist in any rebellion or insurrection of slaves, free negroes or mulattoes, or shall furnish arms, or do any over act in furtherance of such rebellion or insurrection, shall suffer death.
“SEC. 3. If any free person shall, by speaking, writing or printing, advise, persuade or induce, any slaves to rebel, conspire against or murder any citizen of this territory, or shall bring into, print, write, publish, or circulate, or cause to be brought into, printed, written, published or circulated, or shall knowingly aid or assist in the bringing into, printing, writing, publishing or circulating, in this territory, any book, paper, magazine, pamphlet or circular, for the purpose of exciting insurrection, rebellion, revolt or conspiracy on the part of the slaves, free negroes or mulattoes, against the citizens of the territory or any part of them, such person shall be guilty of felony, and suffer death.
“SEC. 4. If any person shall entice, decoy or carry away out of this territory any slave belonging to another, with intent to deprive the owner thereof of the services of such slave, or with intent to effect or procure the freedom of such slave, he shall be adjudged guilty of grand larceny, and, on conviction thereof, shall suffer death, or be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than ten years. . . .
“SEC. 9. If any person shall resist any officer while attempting to arrest any slave that may have escaped from the service of his master or owner, or shall rescue such slave when in custody of any officer or other person, or shall entice, persuade, aid or assist, such slave to escape from the custody of any officer or other person who may have such slave in custody, whether such slave have escaped from the service of his master or owner in this territory, or in any other state or territory, the person so offending shall be guilty of felony, and punished by imprisonment at hard labor for a term of not less than two years. . . .
“SEC. 12. If any free person, by speaking or by writing, assert or maintain that persons have not the right to hold slaves in this territory, or shall introduce into this territory, print, publish, write, circulate, or cause to be introduced into this territory, written, printed, published or circulated in this territory, any book, paper, magazine, pamphlet or circular, containing any denial of the right of persons to hold slaves in this territory, such person shall be deemed guilty of felony, and punished by imprisonment at hard labor for a term of not less than two years.
“SEC. 13. No person who is conscientiously opposed to holding slaves, or who does not admit the right to hold slaves in this territory, shall sit as a juror on the trial of any prosecution for any violation of any of the sections of this act.
“This act to take effect and be enforced from and after the fifteenth day of September, A. D. 1855.” . . .
When Congress was memorialized as to these grievances of the people, and a plain statement was laid before the President of the invasion of March thirtieth, he signified his alliance with the ruffians. . . . He offered no protection to the people of Lawrence. . . . He told the peaceable settlers in Kansas, who had asked his protection, that he would “enforce the laws” of the Legislature, elected by Missourians, “with the army and navy of the United States.” . . .
When our people attempted to right their wrongs by assembling to memorialize Congress, an armed body of United States troops rushed in upon them, and commanded their dispersion. . . . The President still looks on unmoved, and permits outrages. . . .
Source: Excerpt from Sara T. L. Robinson, Kansas; Its Interior and Exterior Life (Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co., 1856).
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