Primary sourceSpeech19–20 May 1856

The Crime Against Kansas

Charles Sumner · 19–20 May 1856

Charles Sumner's 1856 Senate speech attacking the Pierce administration's handling of Bleeding Kansas, which led to Sumner being caned.

This speech attacked Pierce's administration over Kansas, and the violence it provoked shows how polarized his presidency had become.

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What it is

This speech was delivered by Senator Charles Sumner in the U.S. Senate on May 19–20, 1856, and later published in Boston, Cleveland and New York.

Why it matters

Sumner's speech denounced the handling of the Kansas crisis under President Franklin Pierce, and its harsh language provoked Congressman Preston Brooks to attack Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor. The episode shows how deeply divided and violent American politics had become during Pierce's presidency.

Why it matters

Look closer

What does the violent response to a speech tell you about the political climate of the 1850s?
Why might a senator choose such forceful language when addressing a sitting president's policies?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Franklin Pierce on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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