On May 22, 1856, pro-slavery forces attacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas, a center of anti-slavery settlers. The attackers looted businesses, destroyed printing presses, and burned the Free State Hotel. The incident was part of a period of violence known as “Bleeding Kansas,” which arose from conflicts over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. The sacking of Lawrence shocked many people in the North and hardened attitudes on both sides. It highlighted how territorial disputes had turned into open conflict. These tensions foreshadowed the broader national crisis that would erupt in the Civil War.
