WASHINGTON – A new resolution in the House of Representatives, H. Con. Res. 79, offered by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) and co-sponsored by Mike Pompeo, (KS-04), and Kevin Yoder, (KS-03), would recognize the historic decision by the Houseto reject the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution of the territory of Kansas. The resolution seizes on the anniversary of the most infamous floor brawl in the history of the House of Representatives on February 6, 1868, and their subsequent rejection of the Lecompton Constitution on February 8, 1858* which ensured Kansas’s admission into the union as a free state, following years of debate and violence between pro-slavery and abolitionist factions.

The resolution reads in part: 

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress

(1)  recognizes the rejection of the Lecompton Constitution of the Territory of Kansas by the House of Representatives as a critical action in admitting Kansas as a free State into the Union of the United States;

(2)  celebrates the American belief of freedom as an inherent right of individuals everywhere;

(3)  acknowledges the drafting and ensuing debate of the Lecompton Constitution of Territory of Kansas as a significant catalyst of the debate that would lead to the Civil War and the ultimate abolition of slavery; and

(4)  congratulates the city of Lecompton, Kansas, for maintaining its historical heritage as a significant location in American history; and

(5)  extends warm wishes to the residents of Lecompton, Kansas, as they continue to celebrate their city’s ongoing importance in American history as the place ‘‘Where Slavery Began To Die’’.

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins said: “The debate over the Lecompton Constitution not only resulted in the most infamous floor brawl in the history of the House of Representatives, but it also helped spark the Civil War and bring an end to the era of slavery. We must remember these times as one of the darkest, but also as the most significant periods of our nation’s history. I’m proud to introduce this legislation in remembrance of these divisive times, and to recognize the city of Lecompton, Kansas as a significant location in American history as the place ‘Where Slavery Began to Die.’”

Congressman Mike Pompeo said: “Stopping the spread of slavery in the United States is a proud part of Kansas’s rich history and a milestone in the advancement of human freedom. America is great in many ways because Kansas is great, and I am honored to represent Kansas in Congress.”

Congressman Kevin Yoder said: “Kansans have a long history of doing what’s right, and we have a deep pride in the heritage of our great state. Kansans would not stand for the expansion of slavery within our boundaries, and with the defeat by the House of the Lecompton Constitution, Kansas once again took a leading stance for the equal treatment of all people, no matter the color of their skin.”

# # #