Pottawatomie Massacre

The Pottawatomie Massacre was a violent event in 1856 during "Bleeding Kansas," a period of violent conflicts over whether new territories would allow slavery. Abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked and murdered five pro-slavery settlers in Kansas as part of their efforts to oppose slavery expansion. The event heightened tensions between pro- and anti-slavery groups, contributing to increased violence and instability in the region. It became a symbol of radical abolitionist action, illustrating the intense and often violent struggle over the fate of slavery in the United States before the Civil War.