Three events in 1856 that helped focus national attention on "Bleeding Kansas" are:
1. The Sacking of Lawrence: On May 21, 1856, a pro-slavery mob attacked the town of Lawrence, which was known for its anti-slavery stance. The attackers looted and burned buildings, destroyed printing presses, and engaged in violent acts against the residents. The incident garnered widespread media coverage and fueled the tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the Kansas Territory.
2. The Pottawatomie Massacre: On the night of May 24-25, 1856, abolitionist John Brown and his sons carried out a retaliatory attack on pro-slavery settlers in Pottawatomie Creek. They killed five pro-slavery men with broadswords, sending shockwaves throughout the nation. The Pottawatomie Massacre represented the growing radicalism and violence on both sides of the conflict.
3. The Caning of Charles Sumner: On May 22, 1856, in the U.S. Senate, Charles Sumner, a Massachusetts senator and prominent anti-slavery advocate, delivered a speech condemning the Kansas-Nebraska Act and pro-slavery politicians, including Senator Andrew Butler. Two days later, Butler's cousin, Representative Preston Brooks, attacked Sumner on the Senate floor, beating him with a cane. The brutal assault further intensified the national spotlight on the violence and tensions surrounding the issue of slavery, including the situation in Kansas.
27. What three events in 1856 helped focus national attention on "Bleeding Kansas?
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