What Was Historically Significant About The Lecompton Constitution?

5 Mins Read July, 07 2021 Posted by Sofia

The Lecompton constitution is regarded as one of the most historic documents ever drafted on the United States of America land.  This document carries so much history with it has been among the founding documents in the United States of America.  

One of the things that made the Lecompton constitution so famous back then was that it talked so much about slavehood. Being that slavery was such a prevalent business in the US during this time and many people lived as slaves there was a need to address this issue.  

There are many events from back then that made the Lecompton constitution the best and one of the most historic there was as of that time.  With so much information sought about this kind of constitution, it is only right to look deeper into this issue.  This is exactly why this text looks into the Lecompton constitution what about it that way back then in time.  

The Lecompton Constitution Was Drafted In The Year 1857 

The Lecompton Constitution Was Drafted In The Year 1857 

The Lecompton constitution is one of the well-known documents in the United States of America.  The document was drafted as one of the three constitution proposals in the US back then.  Even though it was a robust document, the Lecompton constitution was never enacted which even adds more to the speculation and inquiries about this constitution from back then in time.  

As to when the document was drafted, the Lecompton constitution was drafted back in the year 1857 in the state of Kansas.  It should be noted that this document was controversial back then in time, something which is even believed to have led to the American civil war.  

What Was Contained In The Lecompton Constitution? 

Having said all this about the Lecompton constitution, it is also essential to look at what exactly was contained in the Lecompton constitution. With this document being so famous in the USA, it is not a bad idea to look into the contents of the Lecompton constitution.  

As part of this discussion, it is essential to look at what was contained in this document and who drafted this constitution as well.  The Lecompton constitution was drafted by the Southern pro-slavery advocates found in the Kansas statehood.  The constitution contained clauses that were protecting slaveholding together with a bill of rights that excluded free blacks.  There were many other things found in this document but these two were the main ones of them all.  

The Lecompton Constitution And The Civil War In America 

Over the recent years, there have been some questions raised by some people about the connection between the Lecompton constitution and the American civil war. People are interested in knowing whether the Lecompton Constitution had anything to do with the American civil war which rocked the American land in the mid-18th century. 

Well, to tell it as it is supposed to be there is no conclusive information that supports this widely accepted belief.  To understand why and how this is the case, it is essential to look into the American civil war and how it came about.  The American civil war is not something that happened overnight, it took so much time.  

In fact, there was so much build-up to this process which later busted into a war in the end.  Therefore, to completely connect the Lecompton constitution to the war directly is not the correct thing to do.  However, much as that is the case, there are also other things that connect the Lecompton constitution to the American civil war. Even the largest law firms in America also may not have enough information on it.

For instance, it is widely believed that some of the clauses in the Lecompton constitution led to the American civil war.  The clauses which addressed the issue of black slaves are what is believed to have led to the friction leading to the American civil war.  

What Was The Intention Of The Lecompton Constitution? 

 By now you must be knowing that the Lecompton constitution was one of the most controversial constitutions ever in the United States of America. Being this way, one might be prompted to ask why exactly was the Lecompton constitution even written in the first place.  

What exactly was the intention of the people or the drafters of this constitution and did they achieve that.  Well, the drafters of the Lecompton constitution never had a bad idea in mind, they actually had good ideas about the same.  In fact, the drafting of the Lecompton constitution was squarely on humanitarian grounds and nothing more.  The interpretation in itself to the other people might not have seemed like so but that was the intention.  

The writing of the constitution was actually in response to the increasing anti-slavery position in the state of Kansas. This position was recorded in the Topeka constitution of 1855 and the writings of other free advocates as well. You can consult your attorney or lawyer if you want to know its applications.

What Exactly Did The Lecompton Constitution Say 

There were so many things that the Lecompton constitution talked about or said if you like.  The Lecompton constitution permitted slavery in the state of Kansas.  Other than that, it also excluded any free blacks from living in the United States of America.  Other than that, the document also allowed the male citizens of the United States of America to vote. 

Some of the provisions found in this constitution were just outrageous, to say the least. This is exactly how this constitution led to the problems that were there as of that time.  In fact, it is exactly some of the clauses that were found in this constitution that made way for the American civil war back then. Even though the Lecompton constitution contained all this information and all these things it was never enacted.  

FAQs

1: Why Was The Leecompton Constitution Rejected?

Ans: Members of the convention contended that if Kansans voted on the Lecompton Constitution in its entirety, they risked losing their statehood. However, because voters were not given the choice to reject the constitution fully, the vote on it does not constitute actual sovereignty.

2: What Was The Leecompton Constitution For Dummies?

Ans: The Lecompton Constitution was one of four Kansas state constitution proposals. It was penned by pro-slavery individuals in the year 1857. Parts of it were written to legalise slavery in the state. It also featured provisions that free blacks be excluded from the list of rights.

3: What Was The Controversy Surrounding The Leecompton Constitution?

Ans: The debate arose because a proposed state constitution created in the territory capital of Lecompton. It was controversial because if the proposal would have been approved by the state, then that would have made slavery legal in the newly formed state of Kansas.

Conclusion 

The Lecompton constitution has been around for so long now. It contained so many clauses in it some of which are believed to have caused the American civil war. The text above looks into the text of the Lecompton constitution and some other things you need to know about the same.  If you have further questions on this topic, you can share them in the comment box below.

Read Also:

Sofia

Sofia Kelly is a passionate blogger. She loves to share her thoughts, ideas and experiences with the world through blogging.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *