The Topeka Convention, held in 1855, was the first attempt to establish a constitution for Kansas Territory. However, territorial legislators and the federal officials considered the convention "illegal" since it was organized by Free-Staters, who considered the election of the official (proslavery) territorial legislators to have been have been accomplished by fraud. Notably, the Topeka Constitution drafted by the convention barred slavery in the future state of Kansas, but also excluded any free African-Americans from settling in Kansas.

Elections in Kansas Territory were held pursuant to the Topeka Constitution on January 15, 1856, in which only Free-Staters participated. Charles Robinson was elected Governor. On January 24, President Franklin Pierce declared the Topeka government to be in "revolution" against the rightful government, and the arrest of its leaders was ordered.

The Topeka Constitution was submitted to the U.S. Congress despite its lack of official sanction; it was approved by the House of Representatives, but failed the Senate. Other proposed Kansas state constitutions were the Lecompton Constitution (1857), the Leavenworth Constitution (1858) and the Wyandotte Constitution (1859).

References

• William G. Cutler, "History of the State of Kansas". 1883

Links

• Kansas Constitution

External links

• Text of Topeka Constitution
• Transcript of PBS documentary

History of Kansas