When Kansas Territory was created in 1854, Congress said that the citizens could vote on whether to join the Union as a free state or a slave state. Both sides wanted to add Kansas to their numbers. Border ruffians, sometimes called Bushwhackers, came over from Missouri to attack and try to drive the free-staters away. Free-staters, sometimes called Jayhawkers, fought back just as hard. Many lives were lost on both sides. After several contested elections, Kansas finally joined the Union as a free state in January 1861.
It wasn’t just the question of free-state vs. slave-state that fueled the fighting in eastern Kansas. Many people believed slavery was wrong, and wanted to actually help enslaved people escape. A number of citizens from Boston and other eastern cities raised money to help settlers move to Kansas. They set up the town of Lawrence as a free-state stronghold. The town and surrounding areas were known for Underground Railroad activity. This brought especially vicious attacks from pro-slavery sympathizers.