Known by some as “Bloody Kansas” or the “Border War”, these tragic events helped to inspire the Civil War and the dark times which followed which included massacres, political uprisings, murders, and shadow governments. Between 1854 and 1858, the casualties between both sides within Kansas were horrid, and instead of working to calm the rising tide it instead only served to fuel the fires of war which would eventually rip a country in half and throw family against family. What also made this time difficult was that as new states were added to the country each of these states were given a seat in the government and the right to decide laws and the outcomes of certain events. This meant that traditional beliefs or states which once held control over the fate of the country would now not only have more competition but would have to try to win those new states which proved a difficult endeavor.
One notable event which began to reoccur concerned the group known as “Border Ruffians”. During this time there was heavy voting going on concerning the future of slavery and whether or not it should be allowed in certain states as the U.S. government allowed individual stated to make their own decisions. As a result, the Border Ruffians would move into states where these voting decisions were to be made and cast their own votes in favor of slavery. This meant that even if a state was anti-slavery, it did not stand a chance against the rise of southerners who appeared on their doorsteps and stated they had a right to vote even though they were not registered voters of that state and in fact the state had far less individuals to vote than showed up to vote.