Preston Brooks Research
The person I decided to research and defend is Preston Brooks who was ultimately known as a congress man. He was a prominent activist for defending the slaveholding south through word and action. Preston Brooks was born into a wealthy family in Edgefield, South Carolina; where he lived from August 5, 1819, to January 27, 1857. Brooks attended South Carolina College, where he impressed his professors academically however it was made aware that he had undisciplined behavior.
After finishing and passing all his college exams, the only thing left awaiting was college graduation. One day, word was spreading around that his brother gotten unfair treatment by police officers, causing Brooks to get angry and retaliate. He decided to escalate the situation by bringing in bullets and threatening the police with them. The incident was then calmed down by the officers, But South Carolina College did not take this incident lightly and made the decision to expel brooks right before graduation. This dispute characterized Brooks legacy with dishonor and as a violent person.
Even though he did not graduate college, he went on to do much more. Starting in 1844, Brooks opened a law office where he served as a representative to the South Carolina legislator. Which is a prominent position because he has the power of making laws for his state. He also assumed the responsibilities of aided de-camp to the governor; Meaning he was in a military officer position acting as a confidential assistant to a senior officer, showing how much power he was gaining.
Later, during the start of the Mexican war, Brooks went on to organize an infantry company to join the Palmetto Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers. This means a group of South Carolina citizens willingly volunteer by coming together to fight in the Mexican war and Brooks served as the captain for it. Eventually he returned home, where he spent the next 5 years running the plantation he inherited. In these five years Preston Brooks was ultimately thriving on managing slave labor.
It was quite evident that Brooks was for the Pro Slavery movement so much so, that he decided to go back into politics during 1953. Where was elected to represent South Carolina as a democrat in the house of representatives. While in this position Brooks passionately defended the southern right to own slaves and expand this institution into other territories. He also supported the Kansas-Nebraska act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed for new territories to decide if they were a free or a slave state by popular sovereignty. In Brooks this act, “simply establishes the principle that the people, in their condition of Sovereign States, should be permitted to decide for themselves upon all matters affecting their internal government.” He’s saying that people who live under a monarchy or dictatorship should be given authorization to decide for themselves whether they should own slaves, not the governments choice but yours.
Brooks then went on to list slavery as the principle right that he is willing to protect and performed his persuasive speech at the house of representatives where at one point he stated, “The institution of slavery, which is so fashionable now to decry, has been the greatest of blessing to this entire country.” Meaning before slavery was looked down upon it was the entire countries backbone, its where Americans got most of its profit back then.
Abolitionists strongly opposed the Kansas-Nebraska act, one of the abolitionists was Senator Charles Sumner. He produced the most critical and devastating remarks in a speech, he delivered for two days on May 19th and 20th, in 1856. In Sumner’s speech he specifically targeted South Carolina, more specifically their senator, Andrew P. Butler, who co-authored the Kansas-Nebraska act. Brooks was infuriated by his remarks about both his home state and Senator Butler who was a distant relative of his. Two days later he viciously assaulted Sumner, beating him up with his own wooden cane. He slammed it on his head, striking again and again, bleeding profusely Sumner was carried away. Brooks had nearly bludgeoned him to death. He was then arrested and charged a $300 fine. However, he became such a respected hero in his respective region that supporters payed for his fine. Brooks was thriving in his new fame and attended more events than ever before. He however died on January 27th so he would not be able to see the civil war which he would have been a big activist in favor of it.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/preston-brooks
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/caning-charles-sumner
