The Hawley-Cruz faction & most House GOP are now "Bleeding Kansas" Republicans:
I've been thinking about Kansas 1854-59 for a while.
Let's be clear about what happens when political parties reject elections and democracy:
Violence & bloodshed.
Thread.
I've been thinking about Kansas 1854-59 for a while.
Let's be clear about what happens when political parties reject elections and democracy:
Violence & bloodshed.
Thread.
https://twitter.com/SteveSchmidtSES/status/1345533164102541315
2/ The Compromise of 1850 & the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 undid the Missouri Compromise (see map), leaving the question of slave state/free state to voters in the territories, leading to local violence, disputed elections, & ultimately the Civil War.
images.app.goo.gl/PNerRpPjGay6z6…
images.app.goo.gl/PNerRpPjGay6z6…
3/ The Kansas-Nebraska Act opened what would become Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana to a territory-by-territory vote on slavery vs. freedom.
Pro-slavery Missourians moved west into Kansas to vote for the westward expansion of slavery.
images.app.goo.gl/zL4ZYMss229Mw1…
Pro-slavery Missourians moved west into Kansas to vote for the westward expansion of slavery.
images.app.goo.gl/zL4ZYMss229Mw1…
4/ Soon after 1854, Kansas became a local preview and a microcosm of the coming Civil War. Violence, intimidation & murder preceded these slave v. free local elections, mostly from the pro-slavery side, and pro-slavery forces used fraud to win.
5/ Missouri organized pro-slavery "Border Ruffians" to cross into Kansas, use violence and vote illegally. One estimate is that they added 5,000 illegal votes to the pro-slavery side to swing the elections. Congress investigated and found massive vote fraud.
6/ This 1860 book records massive voters fraud.
For example, in the 1854 Kansas election, one district had 161 voters. 30 were legal residents. 131 were no legal residents.
Unlike today, there was voter fraud, and it destroyed the legitimacy of elections.
google.com/books/edition/…
For example, in the 1854 Kansas election, one district had 161 voters. 30 were legal residents. 131 were no legal residents.
Unlike today, there was voter fraud, and it destroyed the legitimacy of elections.
google.com/books/edition/…
The violence escalated in 1856, with pro-slavery mobs raiding Lawrence, Kansas to shut down an anti-slavery paper, killing one.
John Brown rise up as an anti-slavery violence in revenge, killing 5 in the Pottawatomie massacre, then leading 2 more armed battles that summer.
John Brown rise up as an anti-slavery violence in revenge, killing 5 in the Pottawatomie massacre, then leading 2 more armed battles that summer.
Congress found that the 1855 pro-slavery legislature seated in Pawnee/Lecompton was a fraud.
In 1855, anti-slavery forces seated their own govt at Topeka and drafted a free-state Topeka Constitution, vs the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution.
Kansas had 2 rival governments.
In 1855, anti-slavery forces seated their own govt at Topeka and drafted a free-state Topeka Constitution, vs the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution.
Kansas had 2 rival governments.
9/ The pro-slavery president (New Hampshire Dem) Franklin Pierce sided w/ the pro-slavery Kansas govt.
Kansas was a turning point in the rise of the Republican Party, as it was clear that the US couldnt resolve "half slave/half free" in western expansion via local elections.
Kansas was a turning point in the rise of the Republican Party, as it was clear that the US couldnt resolve "half slave/half free" in western expansion via local elections.
10/ Like today, national racist politicians like Pierce ignored election rules and the clear facts/evidence and the principle of democracy to brutally pick the side that they preferred as a matter of partisanship and naked power.
And the result was increasing violence and murder.
And the result was increasing violence and murder.
11/ By the time the massacres ended in 1859, 56 people had died in Bleeding Kansas...
Because partisan racist politicians ignored the legally investigated evidence, rejected democracy and denied free & fair elections in favor of lies and slavery.
Because partisan racist politicians ignored the legally investigated evidence, rejected democracy and denied free & fair elections in favor of lies and slavery.
12/ The irony of calling today's GOP "Bleeding Kansas Republicans" is that Bleeding Kansas helped the Republican Party rise to power on the right side of history.
@HawleyMO @tedcruz and their anti-democratic axis are tearing apart their party and risking the republic...
@HawleyMO @tedcruz and their anti-democratic axis are tearing apart their party and risking the republic...
13/ Hawley, Cruz, @SenRonJohnson @SteveDaines @CynthiaMLummis @RogerMarshallMD @BillHagertyTN
@TTuberville @SenatorLankford @MarshaBlackburn @SenatorBraun are the descendants of the pro-slavery forces of the 1850s who rejected democracy & led to widespread domestic violence.
@TTuberville @SenatorLankford @MarshaBlackburn @SenatorBraun are the descendants of the pro-slavery forces of the 1850s who rejected democracy & led to widespread domestic violence.
14/ We have already witnessed white supremacist murderers in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Wisconsin, & elsewhere... and rising.
On Christmas, a man believing right-wing-adjacent conspiracy theories detonated a massive truck bomb in Nashville.
Worse is now foreseeable.
On Christmas, a man believing right-wing-adjacent conspiracy theories detonated a massive truck bomb in Nashville.
Worse is now foreseeable.
15/ No one can prove that acts of domestic terror were caused (or will be caused) by these bad-faith attacks on democracy & fair elections.
But history tells us that such attacks foreseeably lead to domestic terror.
No crime can be charged, but blood may be on their hands.
But history tells us that such attacks foreseeably lead to domestic terror.
No crime can be charged, but blood may be on their hands.
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