Question

Kansas-Nebraska Act: The "border ruffians" and their opponents each moved into Kansas to try to vote in Kansas elections. Describe one example of the conflict between these groups.

Answer 1

One example of the conflict between the "border ruffians" and their opponents was the Battle of Black Jack. This battle occurred in June 1856, when a group of pro-slavery Missourians, led by Henry Clay Pate, attacked a group of anti-slavery Free-Staters, led by John Brown, near the town of Black Jack, Kansas. The Free-Staters were outnumbered and outgunned, but they managed to hold off the attackers until reinforcements arrived. The battle ended in a draw, but it was a significant event in the struggle between the two sides in the Kansas-Nebraska Act conflict.