Battle of Black Jack

Bleeding Kansas: From the Kansas-Nebraska Act to Harpers Ferry

In 1859, John Brown, a settler from Kansas Territory, invaded the state of Virginia with plans to raid the Harpers Ferry arsenal and incite a slave rebellion. Among his small band of insurgents were several young men who had also carried out vigilante violence in Kansas in hopes of abolishing slavery in that territory. The raid itself failed, and those who did not escape or die in the raid were later executed, including John Brown.

Nicole Etcheson

Ball State University

Battle of Black Jack

By Terry Beckenbaugh, U. S. Air Force Command and Staff College

The Battle of Black Jack, fought on June 2, 1856, just outside of modern-day Baldwin City, Kansas, proved to be a watershed moment in United States history as the pro- and antislavery forces fought what some historians consider the first unofficial battle of the Civil War during “Bleeding Kansas.” Kansas Free-State forces, led by abolitionists John Brown and Samuel T. Shore, fought and forced the surrender of proslavery forces led by border ruffian, editor, and U. S. Deputy Marshal Henry C. Pate. The Battle of Black Jack highlighted the escalating violence in Kansas as Free-State and proslavery forces became more organized and the levels of violence increased.

Shannon, Wilson

By Matthew E. Stanley, Albany State University

Wilson Shannon was an attorney, the 14th and 16th governor of Ohio, United States minister to Mexico, U.S. congressman, and the second territorial governor of Kansas. He was a leading proslavery figure in early Kansas politics and, despite a short 9.5-month tenure, its longest continuously-serving territorial governor. Despite these successes, the disastrous violence of "Bleeding Kansas" began during his term as territorial governor.

Battle of Black Jack

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who held two of Brown's sons captive.

Battle of Black Jack

Mon, 06/02/1856

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attack the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who holds two of Brown's sons captive.