1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 2: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 2: show that believes there's no time like the present to 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: learn about the past. I'm Gabe Lucier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: we're looking at an incident that brought new meaning to 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: the term political infighting. As a warning, today's episode contains 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: descriptions of physical violence that some listeners may find disturbing. 8 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 2: The day was May twenty second, eighteen fifty six. Congressman 9 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner with a metal tipped cane. 10 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: The brutal beating was in response to a speech Sumner 11 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 2: had given several days earlier, which he argued against the 12 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 2: expansion of slavery and insulted several pro slavery senators. Sumner 13 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: barely survived the attack and was absent from the Senate 14 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: for three years while he recuperated. The shocking incident highlighted 15 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 2: the growing animosity between the North and the South, pointing 16 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: the way to the Civil War, which would erupt just 17 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 2: five years later. On May nineteen, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner 18 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,919 Speaker 2: began a fiery two day speech on the Senate floor 19 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: His main topic was the controversial issue of whether the 20 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 2: Kansas Territory should be admitted to the Union as a 21 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: slave state or a free state. The Kansas Nebraska Act 22 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: of eighteen fifty four had sought to resolve that issue 23 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: by establishing popular sovereignty as the law of the land. 24 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: That basically meant that people who lived in a given 25 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: territory had the right to vote on whether to legalize 26 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: or to outlaw slavery. In practice, the policy created more 27 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: problems than it solved, as proponents of slavery began swarming 28 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 2: into the territory in an effort to tip the vote. 29 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: This inevitably brought them into conflict with Kansas abolitionists, resulting 30 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: in a series of violent encounters known as Bleeding Kansas. 31 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: Senator Sumner denounced popular sovereignty in his speech, referring to 32 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: it as a quote crime against Kansas, which was compelling 33 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: it to the hateful embrace of slavery. The Republican senator 34 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: then called out two of his Democratic colleagues for enabling 35 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: this crime. The first was Stephen Douglas of Illinois, whom 36 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 2: Sumner described as quote the squire of slavery, ready to 37 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: do its humiliating offices, A noisome, squat and nameless animal, 38 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 2: not a proper model for an American senator. Then Sumner 39 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 2: directed his eye at Andrew Butler of South Carolina, a 40 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: self styled Southern gentleman who claimed to live by a 41 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 2: strict code of chivalry. Butler wasn't present in the Senate 42 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: chamber that day due to his failing health, but Sumner 43 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 2: took aim at him all the same, impugning his character 44 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: by suggesting he had taken slavery as his mistress. Listening 45 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: from the back of the room, Stephen Douglas reportedly said 46 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 2: quote that damned fool will get himself killed by some 47 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 2: other damned fool, a prediction that was very nearly proven 48 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: correct just a couple days later, because while Senator Butler 49 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: hadn't heard what was said about him, his cousin, Congressman 50 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 2: Preston Brooks, had hung on every word. Brooks was a 51 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: representative of South Carolina and didn't appreciate Sumner's degradation of 52 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 2: his home state or his relative. Brooks was notoriously hot 53 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 2: headed and had a history of violence. In fact, the 54 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 2: reason he walked with a cane was because he'd been 55 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: shot in the hip. Sixteen years earlier, during a duel 56 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: with a future Texas Senator, Brooks considered challenging Sumner to 57 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: a duel as well, but later decided the senator didn't 58 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 2: deserve the chance to defend himself because he'd insulted Butler 59 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 2: behind his back and proved that he was no gentleman. 60 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 2: In the end, Brooks chose a less dignified form of retaliation. 61 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: He cornered Sumner on the Senate floor and caned him 62 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: like a dog. On the afternoon of May twenty second, 63 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 2: shortly after the Senate had adjourned for the day, Congressman 64 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 2: Brooks entered the mostly empty chamber with his wooden cane 65 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: in hand. He was accompanied by Lawrence Keat, a fellow 66 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 2: South Carolina representative, who stood at the door with a 67 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: loaded pistol in case anyone tried to intervene. Sumner was 68 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 2: sitting at his desk stamping copies of his Crime against 69 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: Kansas speech. The next thing he knew, Brooks was ranting 70 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: about Southern hono and beating him over the head with 71 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 2: a cane. Sumner tried to get away, but his legs 72 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 2: were pinned by his heavy desk, which was bolted to 73 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: the floor. He eventually managed to slip free and began 74 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: staggering toward the exit, half blinded by his own blood. 75 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: Half Way up the aisle, he collapsed, unconscious, but still 76 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: Brooks didn't let up. He continued pummeling Sumner with the 77 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: gold tip of his cane, striking him so hard that 78 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: the cane finally snapped over his head. Satisfied at last, 79 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 2: Brooks quietly left the chamber as other congressmen rushed to 80 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: Sumner's aid. Disoriented and bleeding badly, he was carried into 81 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 2: a Capital ante room, where he was examined by a 82 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 2: doctor and given several stitches to close his head wounds. 83 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: The savage beating had lasted maybe a minute total, but 84 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: the fallout from it lasted years. Right away, members of 85 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: the Southern press began lionizing Preston Brooks. Papers like the 86 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: Richmond Wig express their support, saying, quote, we are rejoiced. 87 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: The only regret we feel is that mister Brooks did 88 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 2: not employ a slave whip instead of a stick. And 89 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 2: speaking of stycks, brooks admirers sent him dozens of replacement 90 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: canes for the one he had broken over Sumner's head. 91 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 2: Some of which were even presented to Brooks in person 92 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 2: at banquets held in his honor. Meanwhile, up north, the 93 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 2: press lamented the fallen state of what was supposed to 94 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: be the world's greatest deliberative body. In a tongue in 95 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 2: cheek editorial, The New York Times even suggested that a 96 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 2: champion bare knuckles boxer should be sent to Congress on 97 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 2: the North's behalf, now that Southern representatives had resorted to 98 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 2: physical violence. In terms of punishment, Brooks was fined three 99 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 2: hundred dollars for assault by a Baltimore District court, and 100 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 2: angry House members called for his and Keat's expulsion. A 101 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: vote was held, but it failed to guard under the 102 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 2: two thirds majority needed to dismiss him, though Keat was 103 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 2: formally censured for brandishing a loaded gun. Nonetheless, the two 104 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 2: men were so outraged by the attempt to hold them 105 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 2: accountable that they actually resigned following the vote. In the end, 106 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 2: it was a hollow gesture, as South Carolina voters held 107 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: a special election to fill their seats that fall and 108 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 2: immediately voted them both back in. However, there was one 109 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 2: last twist to the story. Less than two months after 110 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: reclaiming his seat. Preston Brooks died of respiratory infection at 111 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: the age of thirty seven. As for Sumner, it took 112 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 2: him three years to fully recover from his injuries, and 113 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: even then he suffered chronic pain for the rest of 114 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 2: his life. During his absence from the Senate, his desk 115 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 2: was left empty as a reminder of Brooks's shameful attack. 116 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 2: Others in the Republican Party showed support for their colleague 117 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 2: by distributing nearly a million copies of his Crime against 118 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 2: Kansas speech. Sumner returned to the Senate in eighteen fifty 119 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 2: nine and continued to serve for another fifteen years, right 120 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 2: up until his death in eighteen seventy four. His fellow 121 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 2: Republicans advised him to tone down his rhetoric after returning 122 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: to the Senate, but Sumner refused, saying, quote, when crime 123 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: and criminals are thrust before us, they are to be 124 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 2: met by all the energies that God has given us 125 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 2: by argument, scorn, sarcasm, and denunciation. True to his word, 126 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 2: Sumner delivered his first speech following his return on June fourth, 127 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: eighteen sixty. It was titled The Barbarism of Slavery, and 128 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: it was just as fiery as the one he'd given 129 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: four years earlier. Say sir, in your madness. He wrote 130 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 2: that you own the sun, the stars, the moon, but 131 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 2: do not say that you own a man endowed with 132 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 2: a soul that shall live immortal when sun and moon 133 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 2: and stars have passed away. Sumner was once again criticized 134 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 2: and threatened for his condemnation of slavery, but thankfully no 135 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 2: one else resorted to violence to shut him up. The 136 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: caning of Charles Sumner symbolized the breakdown of reasoned discourse 137 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 2: between the North and the South. The sectional battle lines 138 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 2: had been drawn, setting the nation on a hopeless path 139 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 2: toward full scale civil war. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully 140 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 2: you now know a little more about history today than 141 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 2: you did yesterday. If you have a second and you're 142 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: so inclined, consider following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 143 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 2: You can find us at TDI HC Show, And if 144 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 2: you have any feedback you'd like to share, feel free 145 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 2: to pass it along directly by writing to This Day 146 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 2: at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays and benha 147 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 2: Hackett for producing the show, and thanks to you for 148 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 2: listening I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another 149 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 2: day in history class.