Sumner V. Brooks by Jake Moore

When the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854, the debate over the continuation of slavery and popular soverignty intensified. The Northerners, who were entirely abolitionists and the South, who were entirely pro-slaveryites began heated debates in the House and Congress. The debate could be embodied in the conflict that arose one March day between the Senator Charles Sumner and Congressman Preston Brooks.

On March 19th 1856, Sumner gave a two day speech in which he openly criticized president Pierce and singled out pro-slaveryites.One of these men was Congressman Preston Brooks' cousin, Andrew Butler of South Carolina (and the other being Stephen Douglas). This obviously greatly offended the southern congressmen and upon hearing one of "Crime Against Kansas" speeches, Brooks and Lawrence Keitt (a fellow congressman) approached Sumner with the intent of causing physical harm. The two men waltsed into the chambers if congress and then it all got real. After beating him close to death and breaking his favorite cane (actually the type of cane used to discipline unruly dogs at the time),while everyone around them watched, Brooks and Keitt strolled of.

  Although Brooks had nearly beaten man to death, punishment was not brought to him even though several people desired it. However, he was re-elected in August of the same year and served until his death. Winning.In order to remove him from Congress, a two-thirds vote would be need, but this was not reached. Soon after,rather than sitting around and waiting for his own dismissal, Brooks resigned from Congress on July 15, 1856.  Sumner was kept out of congress for three years due to his injuries sustained in the brutal atack. After returning to congress, he became an advocate for the radical Republicans and continued until his death in 1864 (outlasting his attacker by 7 years). 

In the SOuth, Brooks became an instant hero for "putting the nOrtherners in their place." Apparently, new canes were sent to Brooks after the incident by a large number of southern families. He was idolized in the south as the southerner who finally stood up to the Northerners, but in the North he examplified the inflexible, stubborn, uncompromising south. This only furhter split the two regions and caused animostiy to increase dramatically. The drastic detour from civilized debate to violent physical harm symbolized the end of reasoning between the parties and ther respective states (North and South) which would lead to the heated civil war.

 Bibliography
"Art & History Home Historical Minutes 1851-1877 The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner." U.S. Senate. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Caning_of_Senator_Charles_Sumner.htm>.

"Southern Congressman Attacks Northern Senator — History.com This Day in History — 5/22/1856." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/preston-brooks-attacks-charles-sumner>.

 "Strange Congress: 1856, Preston Brooks vs. Charles Sumner-DCRepublican.com." DCRepublican.com-Inside the Beltway Perspective on Just About Everything. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://dcrepublican.com/2009/02/03/strange-congress-1856-preston-brooks-vs-charles-sumner/>.