Attached On The Senate Floor Witha Cane

On this date representative preston brooks of south carolina accompanied by representative laurence keitt of south carolina severely beat senator charles sumner of massachusetts with a cane in the senate chamber.

Attached on the senate floor witha cane. Wielding the cane he used for injuries he incurred in a duel over a political debate in 1840 brooks entered the senate chamber and attacked sumner at his desk which was bolted to the floor. The caning of charles sumner or the brooks sumner affair occurred on may 22 1856 in the united states senate when representative preston brooks a pro slavery democrat from south carolina used a walking cane to attack senator charles sumner an abolitionist republican from massachusetts in retaliation for a speech given by sumner two days earlier in which he fiercely criticized. While blood was being spilled in kansas another violent attack shocked the nation especially as it took place on the floor of the united states senate. Preston smith brooks august 5 1819 january 27 1857 was an american politician and member of the u s.

Caning of charles sumner wikipedia the caning of charles sumner or the brooks sumner affair occurred on may 22 1856 in the united states senate when representative preston brooks a pro slavery democrat from south carolina used a walking. House of representatives from south carolina serving from 1853 until his resignation in july 1856 and again from august 1856 until his death. Brooks s violent act was in response to a speech in which sumner attacked the institution of slavery and pro slavery senators such as andrew butler of south carolina brooks s. A pro enslavement member of the house of representatives from south carolina strolled into the senate chamber in the u s.

Brooks a democrat was a strong advocate of slavery and states rights he is most remembered for his may 22 1856 attack upon abolitionist.