Battle of Black Jack Mon, 06/02/1856In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attack the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who holds two of Brown's sons captive. Read more about Battle of Black Jack
Sacking of Lawrence Wed, 05/21/1856A posse of 800 proslavery settlers under the leadership of Douglas County's own sheriff, Samuel J. Jones, sack the town of Lawrence, Kansas. Read more about Sacking of Lawrence