This is an old revision of the document!
The assault of Charles Sumner was a pristine metaphor to African American slaves as to why emancipation and legal protection was necessary. The assaults barbaric nature was seen to slaves as what was too come even if freed. The way the South praised the attack was a sign to slaves as what would happen even if freed, brutal attacks would continue as well as unfair treatment unless strict legal policies were put in place. (Declan)
In his speech, “The Crime Against Kansas”, Charles Sumner, a South Carolinian Senator, criticizes the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Preston Brooks believes that Sumner’s speech is an insult to South Carolina and beats Sumner in retaliation. Sinha believes that “the assault became a departure point for contemporaries to explore the meaning and relationship among slavery, race, democracy, and republican government in nineteenth century.“(p.235) -Ian Tiblin
I thought the different reactions to the caning was really interesting. The Northerners were outraged over it and saw it as an act of violence against someone who was openly supporting the abolishment of slavery. Whereas the Southerners supported Brooks because he defended the honor of the South. So both very opposing views. (Hannah E.)